Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, 16 July 2024. Nineteen (19) participants from nine laboratories across the Federation successfully completed the Shipping of Infectious Substances and Laboratory Biosafety Practices training, facilitated by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)/International Air Transport Association (IATA) certified trainers. The intensive five-day workshop, held from 8–12 July at the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce Building, trained laboratory technologists, administrators, transportation professionals, and medical technologists.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Hazel Laws, reiterated the importance of the weeklong session during her remarks at the closing ceremony. “This training session is timely. We are monitoring a number of high-risk pathogens: measles, dengue, and the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, just to name a few. If we are impacted by any of these in an outbreak, we are going to be depending on you, trainees.”
The training aimed to equip participants with essential knowledge and practical skills on how to safely prepare and ship infectious materials and to increase the compliance of CARPHA Member States (CMS) with World Health Organization International Health Regulations (WHO IHR).
Participants went through a rigorous agenda, including both practical and theoretical modules. The coursework included simulation exercises and group presentations covering packaging and labelling, materials management and chemical safety, biosafety audits and monitoring, and handling and emergency response.
Since 2016, CARPHA has been working with Member States on improving national capacities for biosafety and biosecurity, which are key components for national and regional health security. To date over 350 laboratory personnel from CMS have been trained in how to safely prepare and ship infectious substances, a crucial activity for effective surveillance and response.
Trained and certified shippers within the public health systems allow us to safely and quickly respond to public health challenges, such as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and natural disasters at the national and regional levels. CARPHA continues to conduct training workshops in Member States in the coming months.
The Training series is supported through the project “Strengthening Health Systems in CARICOM to Address Infectious Diseases”, which is funded by the Republic of Korea through the Republic of Korea-CARICOM Cooperation Fund. The project supports regional and national level workshops in the Shipping of Infectious Substances, as well as the enhancement of other biosafety and biosecurity measures in CARPHA Member States.
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