The Ministry of Well being, in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Affiliation (T&TMA) and the Pan American Well being Group/World Well being Group Trinidad and Tobago Nation Workplace (PAHO/WHO TTO), has wrapped up a nationwide persevering with medical training seminar sequence centered on Hansen’s Illness (Leprosy). The initiative is being hailed as a crucial step in strengthening the nation’s medical capability to diagnose and handle the illness.
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Though largely forgotten by the general public, Trinidad and Tobago continues to file a mean of 18 grownup instances of Hansen’s Illness annually. Well being officers stress that early analysis is important, as delayed detection may end up in irreversible incapacity and disfigurement. The brand new coaching sequence was designed to deal with this problem head-on.
Between April and July 2025, a complete of 118 well being care professionals from the private and non-private sectors took half in coaching classes held throughout 5 areas: North West, South West, Japanese, North Central, and Tobago. The classes had been deliberately interactive, that includes small-group codecs, real-life case research, and a digital engagement app to trace studying outcomes and enhance retention. The initiative constructed on the present work of the Ministry of Well being’s Hansen’s Illness Management Unit.
Participant suggestions was overwhelmingly optimistic, with many attendees noting that it was their first direct publicity to the medical features of leprosy. The seminar sequence was technically led by Dr. Mushtaq Ali Saiyed, Director of the Hansen’s Illness Management Unit, who guided the event of the coaching content material. Publish-training assessments confirmed a dramatic improve in data, with individuals averaging 92% on follow-up questionnaires—a powerful endorsement of the programme’s effectiveness.
The Honourable Dr. Rishad Seecheran, Minister within the Ministry of Well being, delivered the keynote tackle on the sequence’ closing ceremony. He praised the collaborative effort and reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to the World Well being Group’s aim of reaching Zero Hansen’s Illness by 2030.
“Our collaboration with PAHO has been longstanding and impactful, enhancing our capability to reply successfully throughout all ranges of care, from major healthcare clinics to nationwide public well being methods,” Dr. Seecheran stated.
The T&T Medical Affiliation additionally expressed its continued help for initiatives that enhance medical excellence and elevate the usual of care nationwide.
“This sequence has been a game-changer,” stated Dr. Stephen Nurse-Findlay, PAHO/WHO Advisor. “It’s not nearly data, it’s about equipping our healthcare suppliers to behave swiftly and precisely, stopping incapacity and the stigma related to Hansen’s Illness.”
The seminar is a part of the broader PAHO Elimination Initiative, which targets the eradication of choose communicable illnesses within the Americas by 2030. With renewed focus, technical coaching, and multisectoral collaboration, officers say Trinidad and Tobago is now well-positioned to fulfill its elimination targets.
