Guyana has become the first country in the Caribbean to benefit from an IAEA expert mission on ‘Emergency Preparedness and Response to Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies’, specifically designed for new IAEA Member States in the Caribbean area. The expert mission, which took place this August, was jointly organised by the IAEA and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). It aimed to help Guyana to develop national capabilities to respond to radiological emergencies, and outlined the actions necessary for the preparation of a draft national radiation emergency plan. The mission was supported by an IAEA regional technical cooperation project[1], in parallel to support provided the PAHO\WHO Biennial Plan.
Over the course of the five day mission, two IAEA experts conducted a workshop which included a series of lectures on best practices and procedures on Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), and a table-top exercise for the participants. The workshop brought together several important stakeholders, including Guyana’s Ministries of Public Health and Public Infrastructure, the Environmental Protection Agency, Civil Defence Commission, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Maritime Administration and the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department, as well as companies using radiation sources.
