Through the thirty eighth Caribbean Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) Managers’ assembly held in St Kitts and Nevis from October 28-30, Jamaica gained the Henry C Smith award for many improved immunization protection in 2023, whereas the inaugural Beryl Irons award went to Grenada for attaining its surveillance targets in 2024 and bettering immunization protection in 2023.
Three nations additionally took away surveillance awards. In first place was Barbados, second place went to St Kitts and Nevis and third place, Belize. The successful EPI managers expressed their nice sense of accomplishment on receiving these nation awards.
EPI Supervisor, Dr Julia Rowe-Porter jubilantly reported that Jamaica is really honoured to obtain the Henry C Smith Award for 2023. “This award is proof that our immunization staff in any respect ranges – facility, parish, regional and nationwide – are dedicated, resilient and targeted on attaining our goal for 95% vaccination protection, with an outstanding post-pandemic restoration. There may be nonetheless a lot work to be accomplished to fight the rising risk of vaccine hesitancy. We’re grateful for the continued technical cooperation and help acquired from all our companions, particularly the Pan American Well being Group, as Jamaica seeks to take care of the positive aspects of this excessive precedence programme,” she shared.
These sentiments of teamwork have been echoed by Hannah St Paul, EPI Supervisor in Grenada who asserted: “This achievement was solely potential by way of the laborious work and dedication of the EPI staff in Grenada, with the help of the Minister and coverage staff within the Ministry of Well being.”
The assembly ran from October 28-30, below the theme, “Stronger Collectively: Advancing Immunisation, Eliminating Illness”, and culminated with a communications workshop. Pan American Well being Group Advisor, Immunization, Dr Karen Broome, famous that whereas the post-pandemic street has been tough, important strides have been made. “The investments we’ve made in threat communication and group engagement are beginning to repay. We’re connecting higher with the general public, particularly essentially the most susceptible, and constructing the belief we have to carry this work ahead. As a result of, as everyone knows, with out the belief of the group, we can’t do our work successfully. Rebuilding that belief is a course of, and it’s one we should method with endurance and efficient communication,” she pressured.
Through the opening ceremony, PAHO’s Assistant Director, Dr Rhonda Sealy, counseled the Caribbean Immunization managers for starting to show vaccination protection round. “Notably, Polio 3 protection improved from 90% in 2021 to 93% in 2022, with much more progress in 2023, the place we almost reached the worldwide goal of 95%, attaining 94%. The positive aspects in MMR vaccinations are additionally encouraging… These achievements mirror the laborious work of our Nationwide Expanded Program on Immunization and the unwavering help of our well being ministers,” Dr Sealy expressed in a video message.
On the finish of the assembly, Professor Peter Figueroa, Chair of the Caribbean Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (CiTAG), endorsed the decision to eradicate cervical most cancers and famous that this can require rising HPV vaccine protection, in addition to testing. He counseled the EPI managers for his or her dedication and dedication and shared numerous suggestions. These included the necessity to prioritize digital well being to enhance effectivity and ease the workload of healthcare employees, the drafting of mannequin laws to help this system, the event of an infrastructure for grownup and adolescent immunisation and the costing of EPI applications to establish the actual prices and advocate for elevated assets.
