Seventy-two officials from public health, agriculture, and environmental sectors across four Eastern Caribbean nations have completed a groundbreaking series of workshops to combat emerging health threats. Conducted in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis, these sessions focused on prioritizing zoonotic diseases using advanced methodological frameworks.
The initiative received substantial technical backing from major international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). Specialized support was provided through PANAFTOSA (The Pan American Centre for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health) and PAHO’s Eastern Caribbean office.
Participants engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of 40 zoonotic diseases utilizing PANAFTOSA’s adapted prioritization methodology. The assessment incorporated multiple critical factors: human transmissibility patterns, animal-to-human transmission potential, severity indicators, public health consequences, economic ramifications, surveillance feasibility, climate sensitivity, and impacts on vulnerable populations. This evidence-based approach enabled each nation to identify their most concerning zoonotic threats, establishing a robust foundation for policy development within the One Health framework.
The workshops produced concrete action plans featuring strengthened multisectoral surveillance systems, harmonized case definitions, improved information-sharing protocols, and enhanced private veterinarian engagement. Additional priorities include developing national emergency response plans and implementing long-term initiatives such as simulation exercises and integrated surveillance infrastructure.
Dr. Frédérique Dorleans, PAHO/WHO Advisor for Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, emphasized the workshops’ critical importance: “This collaborative effort represents a significant advancement in regional preparedness against emerging infectious threats. The project establishes common ground for strategic activities targeting surveillance, prevention, and optimized resource allocation.”
Tania de Getrouwe Hoost, FAO’s Lead Technical Officer for the project, highlighted the technical rigor of the methodology: “The prioritization exercises applied an evidence-based approach integrating epidemiological, environmental, and socioeconomic criteria to guide national decision-making. This process represents a crucial technical step toward operationalizing the One Health approach at national levels.”
These workshops constitute a vital component of the broader “Strengthening Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies in the Eastern Caribbean Countries” project, supported by the Pandemic Fund and implemented through collaboration between national governments, PAHO/WHO, FAO, and the World Bank.