Roadtown, Tortola - Government continues to take action aimed at strengthening the Territory’s capacity to respond to potential outbreaks of pandemic human influenza.
A Trainer of Trainers Workshop on Health Services Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza was conducted last week. The workshop was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Social Development with technical support from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
It was attended by doctors, nurses, laboratory staff, healthcare professionals, and persons who are responsible for alert and rapid response units.
Health Disaster Coordinator Mrs. Dawn Corea-Leonard said the February 24-26 workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of local healthcare professionals to identify newly emerging viruses, with a view to investigating likely outbreaks in a timely manner.
“The workshop was attended by members of the national team who will in turn train other teams at the hospital and community centre levels,” noted the Health Disaster Coordinator.
She also revealed that the teaching methods used during the workshop were based on the recently published PAHO Generic Protocol for Surveillance of Influenza, in addition to other publications by the World Health Organization.
Among other activities, last week’s workshop consisted of several short presentations that were followed by general group discussions. The workshop also included case studies, practical demonstrations, and simulation exercises that were performed by small working groups.
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness. The World Health Organization confirms that concerns that an influenza pandemic might be imminent began in January 2004, when the first human cases of avian influenza caused by the H5N1 strain of the Influenzavirus A were reported.
British Virgin Islands News