Event

The Department of Food Production, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is conducting a Burden of Illness (BOI) study in Trinidad and Tobago starting from Saturday 15^th November 2008.  The official launch of the study will be on Thursday 13^th November, 2008 at the temporary class room 3.3, Building 3, Room 3, Faculty of Science and Agriculture (near to Chemistry) from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

This study plans to provide information on the burden and epidemiology of food borne diseases (FBD) and the priority pathogens commonly transmitted by food. The study is being coordinated by a BOI steering committee headed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Drs Neela Badrie and Adesh Ramsubhag of UWI, with technical support and coordination from the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre/Pan American Health Organization (CAREC/PAHO), Caribbean Eco-Health Program (CEHP) the Public Health Agency, Canada (PHAC) and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) Trinidad and Tobago. Ms Carelene Lakhan, an MPhil research student at UWI is the country coordinator of the BOI study.

This study is part of a Caribbean Burden of Illness study being coordinated by CAREC/PAHO/WHO in seven countries in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) mandate and strategy for the prevention and control of FBD. It will benefit Trinidad and Tobago through capacity building in FBD surveillance as well as determine the community prevalence and estimate the burden of acute gastroenteritis (key syndrome related to food borne infections), undifferentiated fever and fever and respiratory illnesses as well as help determine the prevalence and estimate the burden of priority pathogens commonly transmitted by food (Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Staphyloccocus aureus, E.coli 0157:H7, Vibrio and  Norovirus).

This information may then be used to explore risk factors for infection, identify gaps in surveillance and provide the basis for guiding appropriate prevention and control measures for FBD as well as guide the allocation of limited resources intended for the health agenda.

This study consists of two core components:

A population based component (two surveys conducted during the high and low gastroenteritis season);

A laboratory based component (laboratory strengthening and enhanced testing for one year).

For further information on the study or the launch please contact Ms. Carelene Lakhan at 620-5998 or email Carelene_Lakhan@yahoo.com