Health care professionals to receive training on HPV

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA),{{more}} with generous support from the Sabin Institute, will train 55 health care professionals, inclusive of medical doctors and nurses, to prepare them to implement a Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) prevalence and vaccine acceptability survey.

The training sessions will take place on February 25 and 26, 2014, at the NIS conference facility, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

It is anticipated that at the end of the training sessions, the health professionals will commence the HPV survey, which targets 500 women throughout the Island and that information will be solicited on each participant’s interest in the HPV vaccination.

It is important for the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment to understand the epidemiological profile of HPV, as HPV is known to be associated with cervical cancer, and cervical cancer is preventable. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment will, therefore, utilize the information gleaned from the survey to inform policy formulation and programming.

The facilitators for the training sessions will be:

• Dr Beryl Irons, PAHO advisor on Family and Community Health

• Dr Glennis Andall-Brereton, CARPHA senior technical advisor on Non-Communicable Diseases

• Dr Wendell Guthrie, obstetrician/gynaecologist who is trained in HPV Screening Methodology

• Ms Yvette Holder, a trained bio- statistician

They will be supported by local health professionals Dr Sherian Slater, consultant obstetrician, Dr Ronald Child, consultant pathologist, Dr Rosmond Adams, registrar, Sr Ferosa Roache, senior nursing officer/Community Nursing Service, and Sr Arlitha Scott, coordinator of the National Family Planning Programme.

The Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, February 25, at 9 a.m. will hear remarks by Luis de Shong, Permanent Secretary, and Dr Sherian Slater, consultant obstetrician at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.