PROVIDENCIALES- As part of its ongoing activities to prevent and control vector borne diseases (VBDs) in the Region, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) visited the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in December 2022.  

The CARPHA team met with Government officials and Vector Control Officers to assess achievements, while examining opportunities for capacity building.  Data was collected over the three-day visit through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and site visits. 

Outbreaks of Vector Borne Diseases like Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya can contribute to significant disease burden and financial loss. As such, comprehensive, sustainable and cost-effective prevention efforts are of utmost importance. Integrated Vector Management (IVM) is a rational decision-making process, for managing vector populations, that prevents and reduces the transmission of diseases.  Consequently, monitoring and evaluation activities of IVM approaches, help to ensure that resources are strategically utilised for maximum impact. 

Relationship

CARPHA has had a longstanding relationship with TCI. Since 2016, TCI has been supported with entomology equipment, vector control needs assessments, as well as capacity building in vector surveillance, IVM and Insecticide Resistance Testing (IRT). The CARPHA team for this visit was comprised of Dr Horace Cox, Head Vector Borne Diseases and Ms Maria Garcia-Joseph, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. Dr Cox assured the TCI team that “We remain steadfast in our support to TCI with interventions that are tailored to the local context and informed by strong community engagement.”