Caribbean News
CARPHA Urges Member States to e Vigilant Following WHO Declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for Mpox
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 16 August 2024. Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 14 August 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO) following an upsurge of infections by the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in Africa.
This is the highest level of global alert recognizing the potential threat this virus poses to countries around the world, and it is the second declaration in two years of a PHEIC relating to mpox. This current outbreak of mpox is caused by clade I, which is more
transmissible and causes more severe illness. Clade II was responsible for an outbreak that WHO declared to be a global health emergency from July 2022 to May 2023.
Presently, no cases of clade 1b mpox have been reported in the Caribbean and its neighbouring countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Latin America. There is also a limited number of travellers and no direct commercial flights from the Democratic Republic of Congo, or its neighbouring countries to the Caribbean.
“CARPHA is monitoring the situation closely. The current risk to Caribbean population from mpox clade 1b is low to moderate, as no cases of mpox have been identified in the CARPHA Member States. However, the identification of the first case of clade 1b outside of Africa, is a warning call for public health authorities to be vigilant and necessitates enhanced surveillance by all Caribbean countries, inclusive of monitoring of incoming passengers, and rapid/early identification of potential cases, and a well-coordinated regional and international response,” states Dr Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread easily between people and from infected animals. It can spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, such as during sex, and through contaminated materials like sheets, and clothing used by an infected person. Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Currently, two mpox vaccines have been approved by the WHO-listed national regulatory authorities and the process has been started for Emergency Use Listing which improves the capacity for vaccine distribution to low-resourced areas and countries.
“Mpox virus testing capacity has been established at the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory. Additionally, CARPHA is collaborating with regional public health partners to respond to any surge in mpox cases in the Region. Additionally, we are liaising with CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) for Advanced Passenger information for persons arriving from countries that have reported mpox,” said Dr Horace Cox, Acting Director of Surveillance, Disease Control and Prevention at CARPHA.
CARPHA issued a watching brief on mpox to Member States and recommends enhanced vigilance, including the following measures to its Member States: Act quickly and transparently, and report, if any imported cases of mpox are identified; Enhance surveillance systems for rapid identification of imported cases presenting with fever and rash; enhance case investigation for mpox, including alerting port health officials to be vigilant for possible cases; develop and disseminate public education materials on mpox as a re-emerging zoonosis.
Additionally, Member States are encouraged to promote awareness among clinicians, other frontline health workers and public health professionals to be alert to persons presenting with rash without a clear alternative diagnosis, particularly with a travel history from countries that have reported mpox, within two weeks preceding the onset of signs and symptoms are urged to promote comprehensive mpox prevention and control strategies for high-risk populations. CARPHA will provide Member States with guidance to support their national response efforts.
To reduce exposure to and transmission of the virus, persons should maintain basic hand hygiene – wash hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. In addition,
- Stay informed about the risk of mpox
- Be on the alert for any unusual rashes or lesions on the genitals or other parts of the body
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick with signs and symptoms of mpox, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.
- Avoid contact with wild animals (alive or dead) in areas where mpox regularly occurs.
- Avoid contact with contaminated materials used by people who are sick (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings).
Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.
At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.
The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.
Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment.
With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.
Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.
CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”
For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.
For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.
