The Epidemiology Unit within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs with support from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the OECS Regional Health Project took the opportunity to engage representatives from various essential sectors to participate in an Event- Based Surveillance workshop held at the Harbor Club Hotel in Rodney Bay. The representatives from the essential sectors included health, education, agriculture, environment, disaster management, border control, media and civil society.

The Event-Based Surveillance workshop was aimed at building the capacity of participants who will be involved in the early identification and verification of potential health threats. At the end of the workshop, participants were able to have a better understanding of the principles and mechanisms of the Event-Based Surveillance, strengthen the collaboration between agencies/sectors to detect early and respond to public health events. Participants also got the opportunity to establish protocols and communication pathways for reporting unusual health- related events.

The Epidemiology Unit remains confident that with the cross-sectoral collaboration, they are on the right path to strengthening the public health surveillance system and also ensuring early detection and response to potential health threats in a timely manner