Caribbean News
CARPHA Receives Automated Instruments to Assist in Gene Surveillance
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, August 2, 2023 – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has received laboratory equipment to support genomic surveillance at its Medical Microbiology Laboratory for its Member States.
The equipment was procured through the New Variant Assessment Platform, led by United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This marks another milestone in CARPHA’s mission to strengthen its systems to better detect and respond to emerging diseases in the Caribbean region.
The items received are two liquid handling instruments namely, the Mosquito® HV, and the Dragonfly Discovery.
Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA. “Our overall collaboration with UKHSA has been very supportive to our work with our Member States. These devices have ensured further strengthening of CARPHA’s gene
sequencing capabilities, maintaining the cutting-edge array of laboratory services we provide to our Member States.”
“The acquisition of the instruments will serve to advance our laboratory productivity, shorten turnaround times, and reduce costs per sample. Overall, the instruments will improve sample processing accuracy,” stated Dr. Michelle Hamilton, Head, Laboratory Services and Networks.
The Mosquito® HV is a highly accurate and precise multichannel pipetting system. The Dragonfly Discovery enables innovative, low volume liquid dispensing that is compatible with a wide range of applications including molecular biology and genomics, and biochemical assays.
“Both devices will be used together to increase sequencing capacity by automating some of the preparation steps. These instruments will allow CARPHA to carry out multiple sample runs, and switch between applications with minimal setup required,” explained Ms. SueMin Nathaniel, Manager of Laboratory Services at CARPHA.
The acquisition also included a supply of consumables. Laboratory staff at the CMML will receive training in the use of the instruments.
During the first half of 2023, CARPHA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UKHSA. The agreement builds on a long-term collaboration to improve regional health security across the Caribbean. The MoU includes commitments to define strategies for combatting infectious disease threats, non-communicable diseases, strengthening outbreak response, building laboratory and workforce capacity, and improving healthy safer tourism. There is specific emphasis on genomic surveillance of high priority pathogens which emerged as a new service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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