SINT MAARTEN (CAY HILL) - In 2024, a groundbreaking research initiative led by several medical professionals from the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) achieved a major milestone, the presentation of the first comprehensive dataset on viral respiratory infections at a stakeholder meeting in Curaçao. This achievement was the result of months of collaborative data collection involving eight laboratories across Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius.
The project received significant funding from the ZonMW Pandemic Preparedness initiative in an application spearheaded by Drs. Radjin Steingrover (medical microbiologist), Dr. Lilly Verhagen (pediatrician-infectious diseases & immunology subspecialist), Drs. Martijn Tilanus (pediatrician), and Dr. Sonja van Roeden (internist-infectiologist).
The current project team leaders include Dr. Jayant Kalpoe (LabHOH, Aruba), Drs. Radjin Steingrover (Fundashion Mariadal, Bonaire, and SMMC), Dr. Angelino Tromp and Drs. Fleur Koene (MLS, Curaçao), Dr. Peter Klein Klouwenberg (ADC, Curaçao) and Dr. Lilly Verhagen (Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and SMMC). The project is driven by Drs. Charlene Maria and focuses on aligning seasonal vaccinations with local respiratory virus transmission patterns across the CAS-BES Caribbean islands.
The data revealed valuable insights, including that the seasonality of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the Caribbean differs significantly from its seasonality in the Netherlands. While RSV cases in the Netherlands typically emerge in October, initial cases in the Caribbean are observed as early as June or July. These findings are particularly timely with the upcoming introduction of a new RSV prophylaxis, offering a unique opportunity to implement region-specific preventative measures.
The stakeholders meeting brought together laboratory staff, physicians, policymakers, and public health representatives from across the Dutch Caribbean to discuss implementation strategies. Drs. Charlene Maria, who spent three months at SMMC contributing to this project, presented the data during the event and also presented on behalf of the group during Dutch Caribbean Research Week 2024.
The collaborative CARE-SAFE team spans institutions across all six Dutch Caribbean islands, including St. Maarten Medical Center, St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS), LabHOH, Fundashon Mariadal, Bonlab, Medical Laboratory Services (MLS) Curacao, Analytisch Diagnostisch Centrum Curacao (ADC), Saba Cares and St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation.
This collaborative effort exemplifies the project’s guiding principle of “Together Everyone Achieves More” by fostering regional cooperation and aligning strategies with local epidemiological data. The team aims to enhance public health outcomes across the Caribbean and SMMC is proud to facilitate and support clinical research on St. Maarten and in the Dutch Caribbean to improve quality of care, ensuring that the islands and their inhabitants receive high quality healthcare, close to home.
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