Regional Accreditation Authority to meet in April

The inaugural meeting of a “Caribbean Accreditation Authority,” which was created to give accreditation to undergraduate medical programmes of the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Guyana and St George’s University, will take place at the end of April. The independent Authority will be responsible for setting international standards for health education programmes appropriate for international accreditation. Initially, only medical programmes will be recognised but eventually dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, allied health programmes and postgraduate certification will be included.

“Its primary purpose would be to ensure regional and international acceptance of the qualifications of persons trained in medical programmes at participating universities in the region which meet these standards,” a release from UWI stated yesterday. A preparatory committee has been formed to carry out “the necessary tasks for the formal setting up of the authority.” It is chaired by the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) deputy secretary-general with responsibility for human and social development and comprises representatives from the Caricom secretariat, UWI, University of Guyana, St George’s University, Grenada and office of the prime minister of Jamaica.

The proposal for the establishment of the Authority received endorsement from Caricom health and education ministers. It was subsequently approved by the Heads of Government at their 24th conference at Montego Bay, Jamaica, last July. The formation of the Authority follows the discontinuation of the systems of accrediting medical education programmes of Commonwealth universities by the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom. Former UWI vice-chancellor Rex Nettleford took the initiative early in 2002 to launch discussions for establishing a Caribbean Accreditation Authority for education in medicine and other health professions. A steering committee with representatives of the medical faculty, medical students and university administration was formed in May 2002 for this purpose. Regional health and education ministers and the secretary general of Caricom was briefed on the initiative and kept informed of developments. The committee developed the proposal for the formation of the independent Authority.