Grenada is the first of four countries in the Caribbean and South America to benefit from a project spearheaded by the Caribbean Eco Health Programme (CEHP) and Atlantis University of Laval, which involves onsite laboratory research. The six to eight month programme in Grenada is being executed at the St George’s University, Grand Anse campus, where four mobile labs are installed for the conducting of research and training. Some of the technicians that form part of the research team are residents of Grenada and are already employed with the Laboratory unit at the General Hospital, the Produce Chemist laboratory and other institutions on the island. Minister of Health, Karl Hood paid a visit to the mobile laboratory facility where he met with lead researcher Dr Martin Forde and his other Canadian colleagues who gave him an overview of the project and how it can benefit Grenada. Minister Hood stressed the need for the project to include the training of Grenadians to conduct research as part of Grenada’s human resources capacity building. He also added that the exposure will help laboratory technicians to be in a better position to carryout various types of research based on the new techniques and skills they are likely to gather from the programme. Minister Hood expressed concerns about trained personnel leaving Grenada because of a lack of resources and available technology. He said he will like to see the training conducted within the parameters of what can be used locally so that the local people can enjoy the benefits. Dr Forde, who is associated with the St George’s University, said the lab has some of the latest hi-tech machines that can be found in the more developed countries. He explained that on leaving Grenada the project will head to Dominica, Barbados, Guyana and Surinam. Technicians from Grenada, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia are being trained to carry out the respective protocols to draw the blood and provide the snap shot of the burdens of persistent organic pollutants in the Caribbean population. The Health Minister was accompanied by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Dilip Mukerjee and Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mr Andre Worme. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com