Ministers of Health of the Caribbean on Thursday (April 27) signed the Declaration of Nassau, which commits governments to take evidence-informed measures to strengthen national immunization programs in the Caribbean.

The Declaration was signed during the 29th Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) in Nassau Bahamas and commits governments to ensuring that immunization returns to the forefront of countries’ health policy agendas through political visibility and sustainable financing.

Dr Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director in his address to the meeting said that “Over the decades, PAHO has worked hand-in-hand with Caribbean Member States to eradicate smallpox and polio, and to end endemic transmission of measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome and other preventable diseases.”

The Director highlighted the importance of maintaining these gains given the “great risk of the reemergence of diseases which had already been eliminated from our Region.”

“Historically, immunization coverage in the Caribbean has been high, but this has been declining in recent years,” added Dr Karen Broome, Immunization Advisor for the Caribbean Subregion at PAHO.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened an already concerning situation, leaving gaps in human, financial and material resources within countries’ immunization programs.”

Almost one in ten children under the age of one year (over 11,000) in the Caribbean do not receive all of their routine vaccination doses, leaving them susceptible to diseases such as polio, tetanus, measles and diphtheria.

The Declaration of Nassau proposes to strengthen national immunization programs using evidence-informed interventions, including prioritizing immunity gaps among children, older persons, pregnant women, persons with pre-existing conditions, health workers and those living in situations of vulnerability.

It also calls on countries to maintain the regional targets for the control and elimination of polio, measles, rubella, tetanus, Hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis and cervical cancer and proposes the development of policies and strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and infodemics.

Barbosa highlighted a joint initiative between PAHO and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to utilize refunds from COVAX to help support routine vaccination for Member States. This will provide key support for the implementation of initiatives outlined in the Declaration.

“The Caribbean has long been a leader in public health in several key areas,” said PAHO’s Director.

“I look forward to strengthening our work with you in the coming years as we address the major public health challenges.”