GOVERNMENT NEEDS to invest more resources into science and to link it to Jamaican trade and economics, says Dr. Arnoldo Ventura, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology.
During the Scientific Research Council's monthly media workshop last Thursday, Dr. Ventura suggested that more resources needed to be allocated to the development of scientific areas such as research, regulatory policies and equipment so that the island could, among other things, carry out tests which would protect it from importing new and re-emerging viruses, which have been affecting many countries.
"The concept of globalisation ... the rapid movement of individuals across the world will surely add to the problem of transmission of viruses. Jamaica will not be immune from the scientific developments worldwide (and) so cannot continue to ignore these developments and to look at science as an extraneous type of activity which should be done elsewhere," he said.
"The transmission of viruses and the movement of viruses across the world clearly is an indication that proper testing will be required in all countries and proper testing will be done only if the investment is made in those who can do the tests and the construction of those laboratories with the skill."
He pointed out that he had heard that Jamaica's testing for viruses was being done overseas which left the country at the mercy of other's beliefs and procedures.
Along with Lecturer in the Microbiology Department at UWI, Dr. Gwen Dowe and Senior Veterinary Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Cedric Lazarus, Dr. Ventura aired concerns about the population's ignorance of the subject, the limited resources and personnel available to study viruses and maintain surveillance systems and science's impact on trade, technology and economy.
Dr. Ventura was adamant that Jamaicans need to become more educated about science. "The world that was organised before was one of an economical and political nature.
It's now changed into one of a scientific nature so whereas you might have globalisation of trade and movement of goods and services, science is being regionalised and those countries with the command of science are those which are doing better so we better not only view this from an economic point of view but from a health and survival point of view," he said."
Science is what dictates to the world most of what we do and it is the commodity that we invest in least in Jamaica. Economic policy should be really scientific policy and if you don't see it that way you are in difficulties."
