ST GEORGE'S, GRENADA, TUESDAY, APRIL 18 2017, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICE (GIS): - The Ministry of Health has announced that it is ramping-up its surveillance and monitoring systems in the wake of increase yellow fever reports emanating from a number of South American countries. 

Grenada like other countries is expected to step-up its surveillance system and ensure that other response systems are in place. Of importance to the Ministry of Health is ensuring that both Public and Private health care workers are adequately informed about the disease, that public health measures are undertaken and that key partners and border security personnel are putting measures in place to prevent the introduction of the disease. 

Grenadian Health officials were part of a regional meeting called by the Health Desk of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and Pan American Health Organization, to update members and to ensure that appropriate measure are being mounted to the ever increasing risk in the region. 

The issue of Yellow Fever and Grenada’s early preparations was addressed at a special surveillance meeting last week. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gorge Mitchell urged participants and representatives from various agencies and departments to take nothing for granted but to be prepared and ready to respond effectively should the need arise. 

A number of measures including internal and external sensitization sessions, ongoing-equipment and ports assessments and simulations among other initiatives are being planned for the coming weeks. 

Grenada is still being highly commended for its comprehensive and robust response mounted prior and during the recent Zika outbreak in the Caribbean.