Caribbean pandemic preparedness and prevention planning

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CARIBBEAN CONFERENCE ON AVIAN FLU
July 18, 2006 (Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation)

Local and regional health and agricultural officials are meeting in Barbados to map out a preparedness and prevention plan for the avian pandemic influenza.

The one-week meeting at the Sherbourne Conference Centre aims to help Caribbean states speed up the implementation of their national plans.

It will also provide training in the use of software to assess the potential impact of a HB1 wave in the region.

Barbados has begun to prepare its own strategy, according to Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Licorish.

Food and Agriculture Organisation Representative, Dr. Barbara Graham, says the FAO has approved a major project to help prevent the spread of the HB1 among birdsin the Cariforum countries.

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Re: Caribbean pandemic preparedness and prevention planning

REGIONAL UNITY NEEDED
By Patricia Thangaraj (The Barbados Advocate)
July 19, 2006

Countries in the region must work together if they are going to effectively and efficiently tackle the threat of avian influenza.

This is according to Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Licorish, who was speaking at yesterday's opening ceremony for the Sub-regional Workshop for Preparedness & Prevention of Avian and Pandemic Influenza in the Caribbean.

Therefore, every island in the English, Spanish, French and Dutch speaking Caribbean is required to communicate frequently and share information about surveillance mechanisms being developed; collect, inspect and share samples taken from infected birds; and develop the necessary laboratory facilities to deal with these samples. They must also build and maintain key partnerships between the sectors within their individual countries that look after human and animal health; develop early warning systems; design virus tracking systems and report any outbreaks in animals and humans immediately. This is even more important because when a strain of any virus first emanates among humans, it can hit hard. As a result, "mortality rates become higher than usual; spread is quick, sometimes within a matter of months, and disruption of social and economic activities occurs.

Dr. Licorish stated that even though the avian flu, otherwise known as H5N1 -- which started in Southeast Asia and has reached Europe -- has not touched Caribbean shores as yet, this is not a sign for us to sit back, but rather to develop various preparedness methods to deal with this pandemic so that we would be ready if and when it strikes.

Barbados, through the Ministry of Health, is already in the process of developing a national preparedness plan and has consulted PAHO in this regard through workshops and consultations.

The medical officer added that keyobjectives must be decided upon and implemented in the plan and all sectors involved must be aware of their role in both the planning and implementation process. This will help the stakeholders involved to know who their partners are in this process and thereby gain their support.

He also highlighted the need to strengthen our ports of entry and as such, getting the "commitment and involvement" of airline and shipping authorities and port administrators is necessary.

Furthermore, the general public must be made aware of their role and therefore, a communications plan must be developed. Officials must also ensure that the legislative framework "can cover the implementation of the National Pandemic Preparedness Plan".

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