The Tobago House of Assembly’s Division of Health and Wellness has moved to clarify the structure of Hansen’s disease surveillance in Tobago, saying recent comments by the country’s Chief Medical Officer do not fully reflect the unique structure of the island’s health system.

In a statement issued Friday, August 7, the Division said the Office of the County Medical Officer of Health, Tobago, which includes the Surveillance, Epidemiology and Health Education Units, receives reports from the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA), analyses surveillance data, conducts case investigations and contact tracing, and provides public education on communicable diseases.

The Division explained that Tobago does not have a stand-alone Hansen’s Disease Unit, unlike the Ministry of Health, because the island’s case numbers do not warrant a dedicated disease-specific unit. Instead, surveillance for the disease is integrated into Tobago’s existing communicable disease surveillance systems.