Port of Spain – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it is collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to build capacity to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
CARPHA, the sole public health agency responsible for preventing disease, promoting and protecting health in the Caribbean, said together with PHAC, they are continuing to strengthen the capacity of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states through the Facilitated – Acute Critical Events Simulation (F-ACES) course, delivered by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
“In the context of COVID-19, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been collaborating on various activities with CARPHA, with the aim of strengthening regional health security and promoting interagency collaboration,” said PHAC manager, Janice Merhej.
“The government of Canada shares the common goal with CARPHA of strengthening in-country capacity to prevent, detect and respond to current and emerging health threats,” she added.
CARPHA’s director of Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control, Dr Lisa Indar, speaking at the first F-ACES training session, said “this timely and important training provides a unique opportunity to strengthen our capacities as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the Caribbean region”.
The F-ACES course is a tailored, four-session training course that targets Emergency Room Physicians and aims to enhance the clinical management of COVID-19, especially in an emergency care setting.
The course, which is due to end on April 29, involves a total of 24 emergency room physicians from the 19-member CARPHA member states.
CARPHA says it has a long-standing relationship with the PHAC and the two are now focussing on the several key areas of COVID-19 response including knowledge exchange on public health communications, COVID- 19 surveillance knowledge exchange, safe travel and tourism discussion and virtual training on the clinical management of COVID-19. (CMC)
