Grenada setsup chikungunya taskforce

(GIS) – With the issue of the chikungunya virus becoming a serious public health threat as cases continue to increase in some Caribbean island-states, Grenada’s Health Minister Clarice Modeste-Curwen has taken the lead to establish a multi-stakeholder task-force that will consider ways to prevent and manage the chikungunya virus should it enter Grenada.

The task-force held its first meeting Friday during which members were updated on the regional situation. Dengue and other mosquito borne diseases were also discussed at that meeting.

The task-force includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, Community Nursing Department, Pharmacy, St George’s University Epidemiology department, the Grenada Port Authority, the General Hospital Laboratory, the Windward Islands Research & Education Foundation (WINDREF), Environmental Health – Vector Control Division and Health Promotion.

The composition of the group brings a wealth of experience together and as such given the increase of the chikungunya virus and the dengue epidemic in the region having such a working group spearheading the effort is a plus for the island-nation.

Up until Friday afternoon there were 66 confirmed cases of chikungunya in Dominica while an additional 200-plus had health authorities working around the clock to manage further outbreaks in that country.