![representantes de PANAFTOSA y del Departamento de salud ambiental de](/sites/default/files/styles/max_1500x1500/public/2025-01/aft-mision-islasturcasycaicos.jpg?itok=nwhYV-nR)
Cockburn Town, January 24, 2025 (PANAFTOSA/SPV-PAHO/WHO) – The Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), along with the PAHO office in the Bahamas, is supporting the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Human Services of the Turks and Caicos Islands in reviewing and identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement in the country’s current Food and Drug Ordinance and its associated regulations through technical cooperation.
The initiative aims to strengthen regulatory oversight, ensure the safety and efficacy of products, and align with international best practices. Effective regulatory frameworks are crucial for safeguarding public health, promoting consumer confidence, and supporting economic development.
By adopting a risk-based regulatory strategy, strengthening compliance measures, and aligning with international standards, the country can establish a robust framework that supports sustainable development and protects the well-being of its population.
From January 20 to 25, PANAFTOSA’s Food Safety Advisor, André Santos, on a mission in the Turks and Caicos Islands, together with Dr. Katherine Matos from WHO/HQ, is gathering additional information on the country’s food control system to support the process of improving and strengthening the national Food and Drug Ordinance.
The team worked together to review documents and identify gaps in order to proceed with the revision and development of the final recommendations. To this end, various meetings are being held with representatives from different areas of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, the National Public Health Laboratory, and Customs, as well as with the private sector through visits to food establishments, ports and airports, cargo services, and fish production plants.