Regional Disaster Officials Meet in Antigua

Details

Health News

Wednesday, 25 April 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - Caribbean delegates are in Antigua to revise and discuss validated procedures, methodologies, tools, and strategies for mental health and psycho-social support in disaster that can be used at the national and regional level.

The three-day workshop, Mental Health Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) in Disaster in the Caribbean, was organised by the Pan American Organization and World Health Organization.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Rhonda Sealy-Thomas, who was part of the opening discussion, said the workshop will be participatory, with intense interaction between experts in disasters and mental health and psycho-social support.

Dr Sealy-Thomas said the workshop would include lectures, practical exercises, and group work. At the end of the exercise, the participants should be able to outline a plan for mental health and psycho-social support for disaster in the Caribbean.

PAHO/WHO Representative from the Office for the Eastern Caribbean Countries Dr Tomo Kanda, along with other associates from the Caribbean, pointed out that the meeting will not only indentify the national mental health policies plan, but also provide mental health care to emergency related and pre-existing mental disorders.

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According to Dr Kanda, at the end of the workshop, participants should be able to make a rough draft of the Disaster Management Structures in the Caribbean and strengthened the regional disaster mental health and psycho-social support group as a special technical component of the PAHO Regional Response Team of Disaster.

PAHO/WHO Mental Health Program in Washington DC Jorge Rodriquez said he was delighted to be in Antigua, and hoped the information gained would be put to good use when the participants return to their respective countries.

Attendees are present from the BVI, St Vincent, St Lucia, Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Trinidad, and host Antigua & Barbuda.

The workshop is being held at the Jolly Beach Resort from April 24 to 26.

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