Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Regional health agency urges Caribbean not to downplay importance of dealing with virus
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A graduate student works on analysing samples to identify the Zika virus in a laboratory at the Fiocruz institute in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday, January 22, 2016. Health officials say they’re trying to determine if an unusual jump in cases of a rare nerve condition sometimes severe enough to cause paralysis is related to the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in at least two Latin American countries.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) yesterday urged regional countries not to downplay the importance of dealing with the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
“We should always have a proper balance and avoid political polarising positions on health matters,” said ethicist Dr Derek Aarons. “Our Caribbean countries have an obligation to reduce the risk of ill health that people might impose on each other.”
Dr Aarons was among senior CARPHA officials, including its Executive Director Dr James Hosepdales, who met with regional journalists to discuss the virus that was first detected in the Caribbean in 2015 and has since spread to several Caribbean countries, including Barbados, Haiti, Suriname and Guyana.
“While the disease is considered to be mild, recent occurrences suggest a possible link between Zika infection in pregnant women and birth defects. This has caused great concern among health professionals and the general public,” CARPHA said.
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