The Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, the Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, along with the Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for the Environment, recently received a courtesy call from representatives of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the University of the West Indies (UWI).

The delegation included Dr. Ester Daniel, Acting Director of the UWI School of Nursing at the Couva Multi-Training Facility, and Mrs. Karen Lequay, Former University Librarian at the UWI St. Augustine Campus. The courtesy call focused on the “Grey Literature Harvesting” initiative, a regional effort to collect and archive unpublished documents and historical data on mosquito control and vector-borne diseases.

Mrs. Lequay formally requested access to The Bahamas’ unpublished records relevant to mosquito surveillance and control, highlighting the long-term goal of creating a centralized, accessible repository of grey literature for the Caribbean. This initiative will contribute to the development of a comprehensive regional and global database on mosquito species and mosquito-borne illnesses.

The visiting delegation expressed appreciation for the warm reception and robust support received during their visit. They commended The Bahamas for its wealth of historical data and the spirit of collaboration demonstrated during discussions.

The Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) has fully endorsed the initiative and reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing partnership, recognizing the project’s vital importance in strengthening data infrastructure for regional health security. This collaboration marks the beginning of a meaningful and enduring relationship between The Bahamas and UWI in the area of vector-borne disease research and public health advancement.(L-R) 
Jamal Gibson, Technical Supervisor, Vector Control, DEHS; Launa Williams, Acting Director, Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS); 
Ester Daniel, Acting Director, UWI School of Nursing, Couva Multi-Training Facility, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus; Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources and Mrs. Karen Lequay, Former University Campus Librarian, UWI, St. Augustine Campus; David Davis, Permanent Secretary, MENR and Lawrence Burrows, Sr. Health Inspector, DEHS.

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