Bridgetown, Barbados, January 26, 2022 (PAHO/WHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries hosted a webinar on "Ending the Acute Stage of the Pandemic in 2022: The State of COVID-19 response in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries", on Wednesday January 26, 2022.
The purpose was to discuss practical actions required to reduce the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 transmission on health as COVID-19 becomes another recurrent disease that health systems and societies will have to manage. The objectives were to:
- Describe the evolving epidemiological profile after the Omicron wave is over and to understand the role of public health and social measures to control SARS-CoV-2 in the Eastern Caribbean Countries.
- Underscore practical ways of improving COVID-19 vaccination coverage and meet the global target by end of June 2022.
- Discuss the role of SARS-CoV-2 testing in the face of Omicron wave and other future variants.
- Share the 2021 contributions of PAHO/WHO ECC office in support of the COVID-19 response in the Eastern Caribbean.
- Review the lessons learned about the virus and our response, identify the gaps in our knowledge while anticipating the potential challenges ahead.
Presentations:
- Ending the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, are we there yet? Dr. Yitades Gebre, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries
- The epidemiology of Omicron wave, and disease profile in the Eastern Caribbean. - Dr. Prabhjot Singh, PAHO Advisor Health Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, and Dr. Maria Cecilia Acuna, PAHO Advisor Health Systems and Services
- SARS-CoV-2 testing in the face of Omicron wave and other future variants - Dr. Lionel Gresh, PAHO Virologist and Laboratory Specialist
- COVID-19 vaccination coverage to meet the global target - Dr. Darlene Omeir, PAHO Advisor Family and Community Health
- PAHO/WHO Eastern Caribbean Countries contribution for COVID-19 response in the Eastern Caribbean - Dr. Karen Polson, PAHO Advisor Climate and Environmental Determinants of Health and Ms. Patricia Cabrejo, PAHO Administrator
Webinar recording:
