In Picture, (Left to Right Dr. Donald Simeon, Miss Elizabeth Lloyd, (CHRC) Cherylann Sanderson Jones and Mrs. Keziah Richards Nash (National AIDS Program)

CHRC is the regional health institution with the responsibility for the promotion and coordination of health research in the Caribbean. It serves the territories that are member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) providing advice to their Ministries of Health and generally supporting health research and other related activities.

 

Over the past months CHRC has conducted missions to most of the overseas territories with the aim of identifying their research and Monitoring and Evaluation needs particularly with National Programs who are charged with the responsibility of coordinating the National Response to HIV.  The Mission to the Turks and Caicos held the same objective. Talks were held with officials of the Ministry of Health as well as those involved with the National Response to HIV/AIDS/

 

This visit came at a time when the National AIDS program is itself seeking to strengthen its Monitoring and evaluation capacity as well as getting prepared to conduct a critical study on the knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Beliefs of the population as far as HIV is concerned. It is very critical for National AIDS Programs, Health programs and indeed all organizations to have mechanisms to monitor and evaluate their activities. CHRC noted that in the past the Turks and Caicos Islands were not direct beneficiaries of any financial or technical assistance from the organization. To correct this both Dr. Donald Simeon, director of CHRC and Research Officer Miss Elizabeth Lloyd have pledge their support in strengthening the ability of the local Ministry and program to conduct critical research activities which are necessary to plan effective programs and to also build the capacity of the Ministry of Health on the whole to monitor and evaluate its strategies. 

 

According to needs identified, CHRC is due to conduct similar visits in the future as well as hold several training exercises for the Ministry of Health, National AIDS Program and other key stakeholders.