 The Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARFA, is placing a particular focus on food and waterborne disease testing through training and capacity building. In June, CARFA engaged five countries, Saint Lucia, Antigua, Pabedas, Guyana and Suriname, at the three-day training session held in Saint Lucia. CARFA's Director of Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control, Dr Lisa Inder, says the sessions are laboratory-based, focusing on various topics. So we have two sets of topics, the importance of foodborne disease surveillance prevention and control, like I just presented on integration for surveillance, and then what are the types of pathogens or foodborne diseases that cause foodborne pathogens that cause illnesses. And then the other set of topics that range is then how to collect a sample and how do you go through in the lab to test the different, the samples for the different foodborne pathogens. Karim Shalmain is the Environmental Health Laboratory Manager for CARFA in Saint Lucia. Shalmain says the workshop placed a particular focus on the process of sample collection, identifying the disease-causing pathogens, and guiding affected individuals. Shalmain says it is expected that participants will return to their individual workplace and share what they have learned. So we're hoping that they leave here with the skills needed to not just conduct the analysis that's required for the identification of these pathogens, but also to help them be able to provide guidance to their colleagues, as well as to the other stakeholders who take part in outbreak investigations of foodborne disease investigations. So helping guide the environmental health officers, which regards to what to look for in the samples, how to collect the samples. The Regional Foodborne Disease Sampling Workshop was sponsored by the European Union and organized through CARI Forum. The leading implementing agency is the Pan-American Health Organization in collaboration with CARFA, the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Caribbean Community Climate Change Center in Belize, and the University of the West Indies. Head of CARFA's Caribbean Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Dr. Lorely Bodrum, says the project also has a climate resilience component. The project is entitled Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems within the Caribbean. So for this particular activity that we're here for this week and this workshop, this falls under building laboratory surveillance and diagnostic capacity for detection of food and waterborne pathogens. According to the CARFA representatives, foodborne diseases are very common and highly under-reported, regular hand-washing and consuming properly cooked foods are two proven ways to avoiding contamination and disease transmission. For the Ministry of Health, Wellness and NLLA Affairs, I'm Sands Justin.