PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — A three-day conference examining the impact of climate change and the risks to human health will be held in Guyana later this month, the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has said.

CARPHA said that in recent years, the region has experienced more frequent and intense storms and hurricanes, increases in mosquito-borne diseases, rises in sea level, prolonged periods of drought which pose a significant threat to human health.

“Implications of rising sea levels, impact of climate change on food security and health, as well as tobacco use among Caribbean youth, transgendered health, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and Zika are among the public health issues that will be addressed at CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference in Guyana from April 27-29.

The Conference, now in its 62nd year, will be held under the theme “Climate Change, the Environment and Human Health” and will feature an expert panel on climate change and health.

“This meeting is expected to deliver a roadmap for how the Region should tackle issues related to climate and health,” said CARPHA executive director Dr  James Hospedales, adding that the conference is the major forum in the region where health researchers share and promote ways in which evidence can be used to improve people’s health and prevent death and suffering.

He said that it also provides a training ground for young researchers.

The conference will host a series of events, including a grant-writing and implementation science workshop, a stakeholder policy dialogue, and a seminar on health diplomacy for Caribbean chief medical officers.