March 2017 | Business View Caribbean

108 109 is this higher level, noble purpose of trying to improve people’s lives, prevent disease, protect and promote health that, over the years, has led the Caribbean to achieve a number of important milestones such as eliminating infectious diseases like measles and rubella in the early 90s, the first region in the world to do so.Another manifesta- tion of working together is the deepening of the solidarity of the countries of the Caribbean re- garding health.With that kind of spirit, you can tap into a lot of things, even though countries have different health situations, because we also have a lot in common: vulnerability to external threats, whether they’re manmade or natural (hurricanes, volcanoes, floods that the Region is prone to); vulnerability to economic swings; vulnerability in terms of smallness. So, in the international scheme of things, the Caribbean is an interesting place.We’ve managed to work together in lots of things over the years and we’re setting a new set of aspirational targets in the context of the Sus- tainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs).” BVM: What are some of those targets for CAR- PHA over the next few years? Dr. Hospedales: “Our goal is constantly trying to minimize disease and injury and promote and protect health. But over the next year or The Caribbean Public Health Agency so, it’s to strengthen the food environment and nutrition security, which is an area that has been driving the epidemic of NCD and obesity and avoidable costs in health services. In light of Zika and other potential threats, it’s to strengthen and consolidate the mechanisms for coordinat- ing multiple jurisdictions and for strengthening the laboratory capacity to back up threats to the region. So, I would say non-communicable diseas- es and making sure we’re prepared for infectious diseases.” BVM: Any final thoughts for our Business View readers? Dr.Hospedales: “Our job at CARPHA is to help underpin profitable, sustainable, competitive, good-quality businesses–tourism for example– by preventing disease and promoting and pro- tecting health. If we, through our work in public health, can educate people and change policies, and change the environment,we’re contributing to a healthier,more productive workforce, saving government money, and reducing the upward spiral of healthcare costs.We’re doing our part to ensure a healthy, happy Caribbean. And it’s really needed as the region struggles to find growth that we work to address preventable impedi- ments to growth.”