Help needed – Future of CAPSCA in jeopardy

 After this year, funding is not likely to be available for the international programme which seeks to prevent and manage the spread of communicable diseases by air travellers, unless member states of the initiative or other donors, offer assistance.

That is according to Dr. Anthony Evans, Chief, Aviation Medicine of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Global Programme Manager of the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA) programme.

Dr. Anthony Evans, Chief, Aviation Medicine of the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Global Programme Manager of CAPSCA.

A section of the delegates in Barbados for the CAPSCA-Americas Meeting.

During the opening ceremony of the Fifth CAPSCA Americas Meetings and Training at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados on Monday morning, he made an appeal for countries across the world to help the initiative. His call came as he noted that given the current financial constraints, items which are not prioritised, like aviation, tend to miss out.

“This year, we received some funds on special authorisation from our Secretary General, which will enable us to continue through this year. But after that, we are not expecting any more financial support from ICAO headquarters.

“ICAO holds it three yearly Assembly later this month, and the budget for the next three years will be less than the three years just ending. [In] the aviation sector, public health work is not always seen as a high priority, and in the public health sector, aviation is not always seen as a priority,” he noted.

More funding needed

Dr. Evans further explained that while they have received a commitment from Colombia to provide some funding, they are still in need of more, and he is hoping that during the ICAO Assembly, which will bring together its 191 member states, that more countries will offer assistance.

“Any amount is welcome, and this year we are very grateful to Barbados for not only hosting the meeting here, but also helping us with some of the travel costs to ensure that we got a good representation from key players for the meeting,” he revealed.

Meanwhile, Evans said that CAPSCA continues to grow in its five regions, and there has also been an increase in the number of member states. Even in Europe, which was the least developed region with respect to CAPSCA, he said that two major initiatives are currently under way. (JRT)