(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown) The Caucus of Ministers of Health meets in Washington this week-end (26 -27 September) for its 18th Annual Meeting, with a formidable agenda of critical regional health issues to be addressed.

This Forum provides an opportunity for Health Ministers of the Caribbean Region, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to collectively discuss and approve regional policies on health as well as to formulate Caribbean positions on health in the Americas.

One of the highest priority health issues facing the Region to be addressed at the Caucus is the Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1). Although CARICOM has responded well to this pandemic, managing to keep the deaths as result of H1N1 to a low of six out of 712 confirmed cases, it will need to be adequately prepared for expected increase in influenza cases due to what is anticipated as a second wave of the pandemic during the North Atlantic winter season.

The Caucus will therefore be expected to, among other things, support the Region’s decision to identify priority vulnerable groups for the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available, as well as the continued use of the seasonal flu vaccine where this is already in place.

Secondly, as the Community moves towards the rationalising of its regional public health sector, the Health Ministers are expected to discuss progress towards the establishment of the Caribbean Public Heath Agency (CARPHA). Discussions will focus on the functions and critical activities of this proposed body; how to incorporate the functions of the five regional institutions and the critical issue of financing this proposed agency.

The meeting of Health Ministers will also discuss progress made in the fight to stop the epidemic of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDS) in accordance with the September 2007 Port-of-Spain Declaration, which outlined 15 actionable points to curb this epidemic. The centre of interest of this issue lies in the development and implementation of policies and legislation that should create an enabling environment for more effective management of health lifestyles in the Region.

The Caucus will review strategies to eliminate congenital syphilis as well as mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the incidence of which has, over the years, shown continued significant reduction in most countries of the Region. The Meeting will also receive reports from the CARICOM Secretariat about on-going health projects in the Region including those relative to cervical cancer, eye care and regulation of pharmaceuticals.

The Community is also seeking to establish a common medical registration exam for all medical graduates in the Region, and to this end a proposal will be fully discussed by the Ministers of Health. In addition, they will discuss regional leadership in health including CARICOM’s role in the governance of international health institutions.

This agenda will be shared with the CARICOM Ambassadorial Corps to the Organisation of American States (OAS). In that forum, the Ministers will seek support from the ambassadors in the area of resource mobilisation for CARHPA, HIV and AIDS and combating NCDs.

Ambassador Isben Williams from St Kitts and Nevis to the OAS will also make a presentation on violence as a public health emergency in the Region.

Ministers will also meet with the Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), during the two days as that organisation prepares for its Directing Council which starts on Monday.