The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has begun the first of its two Sumer 2010 Parish level training for the Stamp Out Pandemic and Avian Influenza (STOP AI) program entitled: “What you can do during a pandemic”.   

The four day workshop which commenced yesterday, Monday June, 14, 2010 at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville began with a short opening ceremony where the Director General of the ODPEM, Mr. Ronald Jackson informed the participants that the objective of the workshop is to train Parish leadership teams in the use of pandemic preparedness and response tools in the hopes of reducing the economic and social impact of future pandemic or other emerging disease outbreak on the island. 

The ongoing workshop is designed to be interactive, this will include: facilitator and participant presentations, small and large group work, guided readings, and simulation exercises. These sessions are focused on health, food security, disaster management, and communication as it relates to pandemic preparedness and response.

The four day workshop will end with a closing ceremony and the handing out of certificates for participation on Thursday June 17, 2010. The next workshop will be held in Western Jamaica with a date to be confirmed.