THE Caribbean Dermatology Association (CDA) will be hosting its 21^st Annual Caribbean Dermatology Conference in Georgetown, Guyana from October 31 to November 3, 2012 at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, where more than 60 experts in the field of dermatology will gather with the local delegation for four days of extensive scientific presentations and deliberations aimed at advancing the Caribbean in the field of dermatology and dermatological science and education. Guyana’s sole representative on the CDA is its Chief Dermatologist, Mrs. Holly Alexander, who informed that the upcoming conference will be formally opened with a General Practitioners’ Meeting (GPM) on Thursday, October 31, at 18:00 hrs, and general practitioners in Guyana have been invited. They are advised that two Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits will be given for attendance at the session.      

Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran is scheduled to speak at that forum, while six dermatologists – five from the visiting delegations and one from Guyana — will make dermatological presentations.

A welcoming reception for the delegates will be held at the Princess Hotel at Providence, East Bank Demerara at end of the first day of the Conference, and Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Navendra Persaud are expected to be present.

An exhibition mounted by pharmacies working with dermatologists will be open for viewing throughout the conference, to add to the wide spectrum of planned educational and social activities. Viewing of this exhibition opens at 17:00 hrs prior to the start of the meeting on Thursday.

The scientific presentations will begin on Thursday and will continue on Friday,   following which there will be the Members’ Meeting/ Business Forum at which the new executive body will be elected.

The conference ends on Saturday with delegates being taken on a leisure tour of the city of Georgetown. That activity will culminate in a fun time at the Splashmin’s Fun Park and Aquatic Resort at Madewini, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Additionally, some members of the delegation will be making a trip to the majestic Kaieteur Falls on Sunday.

Formed in 1992 by a group of mainly English-speaking dermatologists, the CDA meets once yearly, each time in a different Caribbean country. The meetings are usually held in the first week of November, during which the executive is elected to run the affairs of the association for the next year.

Significantly, the first and 20^th meetings of the association were held in Jamaica. During last year’s meeting in Montego Bay, Dr. Peter Craig of Belize was elected President of the CDA.

The CDA’s membership is predominantly drawn from the Caribbean, but doctors from the Dutch-speaking Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also members.

Among other things, these annual conferences of the CDA update participants on new frontiers in dermatology, keeping participants on the cutting edge of science and technology while addressing and finding solutions to challenges faced by Caribbean member states as those challenges relate to dermatology.

Aims & Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Caribbean Dermatology Association are as follows:

• To stimulate the co-operation of societies of dermatology and co-operation within the field of dermatology throughout the Caribbean.
• To promote personal and professional relations among the dermatologists of the Caribbean.
• To promote public information, education, and involvement in matters pertaining to dermatology.
• To promote research among members of the association.
• To represent dermatology in other international organisations.
• To encourage closer ties with non English-speaking territories of the Caribbean.
• To advise Caribbean governments on matters pertaining to dermatology, whenever necessary.
• To hold a Caribbean Dermatology Association meeting every year.