Saint Lucia To Host Regional Conference On Crime, Violence

Saint Lucia will host a Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) conference addressing crime and violence in the Caribbean. The conference will run from April 25-27, 2024. CARPHA’s 68th annual health research conference’s theme is: ‘Violence in the Caribbean – A Public Health Issue’. The organization’s Executive Director, Dr. Joy St. John, noted that crime and violence devastate governments, businesses, communities, schools, families, and livelihoods worldwide. “The Caribbean has not been able to escape the scourge,” St. John wrote on CARPHA’s official website. She observed the need to halt the erosion of the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) development potential by managing the current crisis in a ‘uniquely Caribbean way’ and preventing it from worsening despite limited financial and technical resources. CARICOM Heads of Government met in Trinidad and Tobago from April 17 – 18, 2023, to address crime and violence as a public health issue. The Heads declared that the ‘epidemic’ of crime and violence in the region, fueled by illegal guns and drugs, was a threat to democracy. And they outlined several measures to address the problem. The measures included overhauling criminal justice and strengthening regional forensic capabilities. In addition, the Heads agreed to promote anti-crime education and awareness campaigns. Dr....