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CARPHA Certified as First Pharmaceutical Lab in Jamaica

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#Jamaica, December 29, 2017 – Kingston – The Caribbean Public Health Agency-Drug Testing Laboratory in Jamaica (CARPHA-DTL) has been certified by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), as the first pharmaceutical laboratory in the island.   Accreditation of CARPHA for laboratory testing and calibration techniques is in compliance with the ISO 17025 standard, and marks a significant endorsement of the agency’s capabilities to test the quality of pharmaceutical finished products in order to ensure safe and consistent care of patients.   These products include capsules, tablets, creams, ointments, suspensions, syrups, and lotions.

The JANAAC certification will allow the agency to act as the gatekeeper to test and prevent illegal/counterfeit prescriptions, drug, medicines and other pharmaceuticals being circulated in Jamaica and the wider region.   As the single regional public health agency for the Caribbean, CARPHA’s international accreditation for laboratory testing will mean that access to healthcare and essential quality medicines/pharmaceutical products will be improved and be of greater standard. This is critical for the Caribbean population’s well-being and optimal health.

CARPHA’S Executive Director, Dr. C. James Hospedales, says the agency stands to benefit greatly from the certification, which, he notes, distinguishes it from other pharmaceutical quality-control facilities.   He says the agency plays a critical role in providing valuable information that informs decision-making and influences policy across the region in order to strengthen health systems, thereby promoting healthy lives and well-being.

Dr. Hospedales, who was speaking at the accreditation ceremony held recently at the lab’s Hope Gardens offices in St. Andrew, says that the initiative aligns with CARICOM’s strategy of advancing initiatives for health and wellness by ensuring access to safe, reliable medicines.   He notes that member States will have access to data to undertake evidence-based approaches to enable early warning, risk reduction and management of national public health risks.

He says, further, that the accreditation can advance health tourism in Jamaica. “The future of health tourism is real, and Jamaica, through CARPHA, can be the forerunners in the region in this arena,” the Executive Director says.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hospedales informs that CARPHA will be introducing a new surveillance programme in 2018.   This, he informs, will allow the laboratory to monitor medicines such as those used for the control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Chairman of the JANAAC Accreditation Council, Simon Roberts, says the entity is pleased to celebrate the achievement with CARPHA.

“The accreditation certificate signifies that you’ve not only received recognition from JANAAC but (also), by extension, the signatories to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA),” he notes.

He explains that ILAC MRA provides “significant technical underpinning to the calibration, testing, medical testing and inspection results of the accredited conformity assessment bodies, and, in turn, delivers confidence in the acceptance of results”.   This supports the provision of local or national services such as safe food and clean drinking water, energy, and delivering healthcare and social care.

Mr. Roberts adds that the endorsement from the governing body puts Jamaica and CARPHA well on the international radar of healthcare.

“In addition, the ILAC MRA enhances the acceptance of products across national borders.   By removing the need for additional calibration, testing, medical testing and/or inspection of imports and exports, technical barriers to trade are reduced.   In this way, the ILAC MRA promotes international trade, and the free-trade goal of ‘accredited once, accepted everywhere’ can be realized.  This offers potential for the growth of the commerce industry,” he points out.

He is urging the CARPHA team to “seek to expand the scope of tests at your earliest to ensure that the other unaccredited tests will enjoy the same approval”.

Others commending CARPHA include Director of the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Professor John Lindo; and Technical Officer for Accreditation, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), Stephen Farquharson.

JANAAC was incorporated in 2007 as the National Accreditation Body of Jamaica, offering services to the country and the entire Caribbean region.

The only internationally recognized accreditation body in the English-speaking Caribbean, it is a full member of the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) and ILAC.   The entity has signed multilateral arrangements with the IAAC and MRAs with the ILAC that allow for international acceptance of the results from JANAAC-accredited laboratories to the ISO/(International Electrotechnical Commission) IEC 17025 standard for testing labs, and the ISO 15189 standard for medical labs.

It supports the effective development of the Jamaican economy by providing Conformity Assessment Bodies, such as testing laboratories with internationally recognized accreditation services, thereby fostering global confidence and facilitating trade between Jamaica and its regional and international partners.

By: Peta Gay Rowe (JIS)

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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