CARICOM Heads meeting Tuesday on Ebola, Chikungunya

Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will meet in special session on Tuesday in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss the Ebola virus and the Chikungunya disease.

The 17th Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government will be held at the Diplomatic Centre, St. Ann’s. Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs are also expected to attend.

The Meeting’s primary purpose is to review action the Region has taken so far on the two public health issues and determine the way forward.

Host Prime Minister, the Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar, had called for a special meeting of the Heads of Government given the implications for the region from the public health challenges.  A similar call was made by The Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, and Lead Head of Government with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health and HIV/AIDS in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.

While Member States have begun taking action against Ebola, the Community’s responses to the diseases are being led by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).