Addressing EOH Threats in the Caribbean: Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Annual Health Research Conference A preliminary assessment of key environmental and occupational health (EOH) challenges of CARPHA member countries conducted during the 2017 CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference revealed four key issues in the region: water contamination, air quality, climate change, and a lack of EOH policies. CARPHA represents 24 member states with18 M population and over 90% racial and ethnic minorities. The proposed workshop builds on the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (U2RTW010104; U01TW010087) established to address high-priority environmental and occupational health risks in Suriname and those common to the increasingly vulnerable Caribbean region while preserving the unique assets, health, and cultural traditions of indigenous and other health disparate populations. The overall goal of the proposal is to build a cadre of minority EOH scientists serving vulnerable Caribbean LMICs to address urgent EOH threats. The objectives are to1) Address key EOH threats and potential interventions that impact vulnerable populations in Caribbean countries, with special emphasis on the consequences of water-related pollution and changing environments on human health; 2) Strengthen the capacity of LMICs to address urgent EOH threats. The proposed conference's longer term strategy is to strengthen EOH capacity in the Caribbean through: 1) a one-day EOH research training workshop preceding CARPHA's Annual Health Research Conference; 2) participation in the full CARPHA conference and especially the EOH track; and 3) quarterly interactive webinars. The technical content targets water contamination and climate change. The 1-day workshop addresses both areas through case-based learning and interactive exercises. The interactive webinars will be designed to encourage sharing specific EOH threats in these two foci and discuss common solutions and intervention strategies. The target audiences are Caribbean public sector and academic EOH specialists. Participant selection will be based on participant's role in EOH research, policy and practice in their respective countries, 2) attendance at full CARPHA conference, 3) webinar participation, and 4) financial need for travel funds. Dissemination through CARPHA's dissemination platform, the annual conference, webinars, and national and international conferences. To evaluate the quality and effectiveness in relation to intended outcomes, we will monitor progress against a timeline and a logic model.
A preliminary assessment of key environmental and occupational health (EOH) challenges of Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) member countries (English and Dutch speaking) conducted during the 2017 CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference revealed four key issues in the region: water contamination, air quality, climate change, and a lack of EOH policies. The overall goal of the proposal is to build a cadre of minority EOH scientists serving vulnerable Caribbean LMICs to address urgent EOH threats. The objectives are to: 1) Address key EOH threats and potential interventions that impact vulnerable populations in Caribbean countries, with special emphasis on the consequences of water-related pollution and changing environments on human health; 2) Strengthen the capacity of LMICs to address urgent EOH threats.
