ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in collaboration with the Antigua and Barbuda ministries of health, wellness and the environment and tourism, civil aviation, transportation, and investment, celebrated the official launch of the country’s Tourism and Health Programme on Thursday night at Casa Palmadita, Fitches Creek.

According to a realease, the event, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, underscores Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to maintaining its reputation as a premier, healthier, and safer destination in the Caribbean.

CARPHA’s regional Tourism and Health Programme (THP) is a proactive, novel response to the growing need for health security in the tourism sector. It integrates public health measures into tourism operations through digital early warning and response systems, guidelines, health and safety operational standards, training and a healthier safer tourism award to enhance the safety of visitors and locals while boosting the sector’s resilience and reputation.

A six-membered CARPHA team consisting of Dr Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director and Head of THP, Keston Daniel, Coordinator, Visitor-based Surveillance, Mohamed Elsherbiny, Senior Technical Advisor, Frieda Mohammed, Training & Standards Officer, Dr Sastee Kissoondan, Technical Officer, Surveillance, Disease, Prevention and Control and David Riley, Communications Specialist visited Antigua and Barbuda this week, providing critical training to over 200 participants from the health, tourism, and hospitality sectors in addition to launching the THP programme .

These trainings focussed on food safety, infectious disease prevention and public health surveillance, and the electronic surveillance systems in accommodation and cruise ship settings, equipping stakeholders with the tools to manage and mitigate health risks effectively.

Delivering her address on behalf of the Minister of Health, Wellness, and the Environment, Sir Molwyn Joseph, Permanent Secretary Gregg-Paige officially launched the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Health Programme.

“Today, as we officially launch the Tourism and Health Programme, we celebrate not only the progress we have made, but also reaffirm our government’s unwavering commitment to a resilient, sustainable future. This programme is more than a policy. It is a testament to our forward-thinking, multi-dimensional approach to addressing public health challenges, while elevating our tourism standards by proactively addressing emerging and re-emerging health threats, building local capacity, and prospering cross-sectoral partnerships,” Joseph said.

Henry Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation, and Investment, emphasized the importance of the programme, stating “The COVID 19 pandemic taught us invaluable lessons about the importance of health security in the tourism sector. It underscored that the health of travellers and the safety of communities must be a top priority. This programme, therefore, is a proactive response to those lessons aimed to provide a sustainable framework for tourism, recovery, resilience and growth. Through the tourism health programme, we are introducing a set of guidelines and partnerships aimed at improving the overall health infrastructure at key tourism locations in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Dr Lisa Indar, Ad-Interim Executive Director of CARPHA reiterated that “Healthy tourism is critical for profitable, sustainable tourism in our small island tourism-dependent states and that THP provided  the solution for adequately addressing health concerns in tourism for Healthier, Safer Tourism.”

Dr Indar also highlighted some of the programme’s achievements including: over 200 persons from the health and tourism sectors trained on the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS) and 21 entities actively using the system; 213 in food safety, and 188 in infectious disease prevention and control for the hospitality sector, and 67 alerts issued on potential health threats on cruise ships.

Adding to this, Dr Kamaria De Castro, Acting Chief Medical Officer, acknowledged CARPHA’s vital support.

“CARPHA has been tremendously important in the preparation for the major mass gathering events held in Antigua and Barbuda such as the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) Conference and The International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World. All of these efforts were fruitful in the face of the rising public health threats of emerging and reemerging pieces such as measles, dengue and the Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Mpox,” De Castro said.

Meanwhile, Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, highlighted the connection between health and tourism.

“The health of our destination is a critical tourism success factor. Just as we take pride in our international airport, seaport, and 365 beautiful beaches, we must also prioritise the health of our nation,” James said.

In a proud moment, during the launch, Carlisle Bay, Antigua was formally presented with the globally recognized HST Award for implementing proactive health measures, timely reporting, and effective training to mitigate health risks. Additionally, 12 other hotels in Antigua and Barbuda were acknowledged for their commitment to health and safety standards, bringing them closer to earning this prestigious distinction.

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism and Health Programme is a testament to the power of partnerships and innovation, bridging the gap between health and tourism to create a resilient and sustainable future for the industry.