PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands; Monday, July 6th, 2009 - The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) made its strongest showing ever at a Caribbean Health Research Council’s (CHRC) Annual and Scientific Meeting at the Sandals Resort in St. Lucia, April 22-26, 2009. This occurred when three (3) well received oral presentations were delivered by the TCI delegation.
The four-member TCI delegation, headed by Dr Rufus Ewing (Director of Health Services) and Dr Terese Maitland (Chief, National Epidemiology and Research Unit), also consisted of Ms Imterniza McCartney (Health Educator) and Ms Shandey Malcolm (University of Miami Doctoral student).
The presentations focused on assessing health and nutritional status indicators to determine chronic non-communicable disease risk factor profiles and iron deficiency status of TCI youth. Research findings would enable preventive measures to be developed and implemented as necessary. This is critical due to global concern over the increased incidence of obesity and other chronic-non communicable diseases among youth. With one exception, all the presentations emanated from research for health conducted under the auspices of the National Epidemiology and Research Unit of the Ministry of Health (NERU).
The presentations by Dr. Maitland entitled, “Risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Turks and Caicos Islands youth,” and Ms Malcolm entitled “Anemia in Turks and Caicos Islands School Children: Then (1974) versus now (2008),” were from research conducted by NERU in collaboration with other departments within the Division of Health Services. Both manuscripts were authored by Dr. Terese Maitland, Ms Carla Ramsay, Ms. Shandey Malcolm, Mrs. Keziah Nash and Dr. Rufus Ewing.
L to R: Ms Imterniza McCartney, Dr Terese Maitland, Ms Shandey, Malcolm and Dr. Rufus Ewing
The third presentation by Ms Imterniza McCartney entitled, “Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus among students of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) students, Grand Turk Campus,” was of research conducted by her in partial fulfilment of her Masters in Public Health Degree at the University of the West Indies. The research was conducted in collaboration with NERU and other departments within the Division of Health Services, TCI. The manuscript was authored Ms McCartney and her academic supervisor at UWI, Dr. Michele Harris.
The CHRC Annual Meeting is the region’s premier meeting of health professionals, researchers and scientists from the Caribbean region. It also attracts researchers and scientists from the UK and USA who investigate health-related issues of the Caribbean Diaspora. Each year this annual meeting is hosted in a different Caribbean territory. It provides an excellent forum for discourse on issues of health of Caribbean people at home and abroad.
The findings of research conducted by top researchers and scientists on regional health-related issues are presented and discussed among colleagues, scientists, health practitioners, young researchers, students and policy makers. This interaction is in keeping with CHRC’s mandate to promote, support, facilitate, coordinate and sustain health research in the Caribbean. Also to ensure that findings of research conducted will be used by decision makers to promote optimal health and development in the region.
The TCI had committed to host the 2009 CHRC Annual Meeting but had to defer as a result of the devastating impact of hurricanes Hanna and Ike in September of 2008.
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