PORT OF SPAIN – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have ended a three-hour special summit yesterday agreeing to a ten-point plan to deal with the outbreak of the chikungunya virus and any possible incident of the deadly Ebola virus which has killed nearly 5 000 people in West Africa.
“Heads of government expressed considerable concern, not just in relation to the possible health impact of the Ebola virus disease, but also about the disruption a single case could cause in the economic and social life of the region,” CARICOM Chairman Gaston Browne told a news conference.
Browne, who is also the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said the regional leaders had also emphasised that the response to the diseases “must be a Community effort” and that “no member state of CARICOM must battle these public health challenges on its own”.
According to the 10-point plan, under the theme Stop Ebola There and Here, they said there was need to strengthen effective, coordinated measures at ports of entry to prevent Ebola from entering the region, including harmonising travel restrictions.
The leaders also agreed to strengthen health systems including training, equipment, laboratories and containment and enlist the participation of airlines in the region in transporting specimens and response teams. (CMC)
