Interim Director of the Pan American Health Organization’s Caribbean Subregional Program Coordination Office, Dr Juan Manuel Sotelo, recently completed missions to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, to solidify the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHOs) relationship with regional institutions and discuss the organisation’s strategic work in the region.
Dr Sotelo held talks with Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, Alison Drayton, and her team as well as officers of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS. They discussed health sector development, resource mobilization for sustainable health financing, human resources for health and strategies for chronic disease management, among other health priorities. Accompanied by the Acting PAHO/WHO Representative to Guyana, Daniel Albrecht, he also met with Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, who pledged his commitment to disease elimination, health legislation and initiatives to promote healthy aging and telemedicine.
In Trinidad and Tobago, during a meeting with members of the executive management team at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Ad Interim Executive Director, Dr Lisa Indar, noted that the agencies have a well-established partnership. “It is therefore fitting that PAHO and CARPHA continue to coordinate and align our work so that we can more efficiently and effectively address the critical public health problems facing our Caribbean Member States,” Dr Indar added.
Dr Sotelo acknowledged the good work of CARPHA and stated, “PAHO and CARPHA have a longstanding history of working together and we need to build upon this with excellent communication, particularly in a very complex international context. I am optimistic that working close to the countries, their needs, and identifying opportunities, we all will do a better job.”
Also present were Dr Mark Sami, Director, Corporate Services and Dr Horace Cox, Director a.i. Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control Division, as well as PAHO Subregional Advisor, Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology, Dr Franka des Vignes. CARPHA delivered a presentation of the Agency’s work and ongoing collaborations with PAHO, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, food safety, the Caribbean Regulatory System, medicine quality and control and health emergencies.
Dr Sotelo and Dr Gabriel Vivas Francesconi, PAHO/WHO Representative in Trinidad and Tobago also called on Health Minister, Terrence Deyalsingh and his leadership team. The Minister underscored the value of PAHO/WHO Regional Revolving Fund for vaccines and Strategic Fund for drugs and stressed the need to tackle mental health issues in the public as well as the effects of climate change, violence and illegal drugs.
In addition, Dr Sotelo visited the Health Economics Unit and met Director, Dr Althea La Foucade and her team. He also held discussions with Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Prof Hariharam Seetharaman and received a tour of the Molecular Genetics and Virology Laboratory at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus. In 2021, recognising the strong, early technical response by the Molecular Genetics and Virology laboratory in addressing the need for SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing in Caribbean, the laboratory was designated a PAHO/WHO reference sequencing laboratory (PAHO- RSL) as part of the COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Regional Network. PAHO has continued to provide technical cooperation to support Pathogen Genomics Surveillance within the Caribbean region. Building genomic surveillance capacity to detect emerging pathogens complements PAHO’s work in responding to public health emergencies in the Americas.
Courtesy calls were also made to the Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Diane Quarless and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Joanna Kazana-Wisniowiecki.