The nucleus of the Caribbean Optometrists Association (CARIOA) consists of the English speaking Caribbean Islands known as the West Indies. We had been informally discussing the idea of a Caribbean Optometrists Association for several years as there has been a regional grouping known CARICOM (The Caribbean Community). CARICOM has sought to develop trade, social and political ties within the members. This organization is responsible for developing the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) similar to the European Union which has become a reality in 2005. These regional governments have also moved to establish and support the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal. So it is only natural that Caribbean Optometrists Association be formed along existing social and economic ties within the region.

 

Within the recent past many Caribbean Optometrists have gathered at Continuing Education seminars in Trinidad and Tobago and New York for Vision Expo West and developed the idea of the CARIOA. In September 2005 the Trinidad & Tobago Optometrist Association invited the Past President of the World Council of Optometry Professor Dan Sheni to lecture at our Continueing education seminar. We also took the opportunity to appoint a committee and action plan to develop a constitution and plan our inaugural Annual Delegates meeting for New York in March 2006.

Besides our shared governmental relationships we also share common arrangements for secondary and tertiary level education. The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the recently established Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE) are examples of this. It is also important to note the attempt by the University of the West Indies to develop an Optometry Program has become a catalyst for the formation of the CARIOA as this will directly affect the practice of Optometry in the region.

At this inaugural meeting in New York we adopted a constitution, elected officers to the governing board and a decision was taken not to restrict the CARIOA to English speaking countries. As a result of this Puerto Rico was invited to join this organization. The members of the board are as follows

 

President            Dr Jillia Bird ( Antigua & Barbuda)

President Elect   Dr Michele Ming ( Guyana)

Treasurer/Immediate Past President Nigel St Rose  (Trinidad & Tobago)

Committee member Romanus Thomas ( St Lucia )

Committee Member Dr Jones Efienemokwu (Trinidad & Tobago)

Committee Member Dr Luis Mora (Puerto Rico)

Our colleagues in the Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, The Bahamas  Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico and St Lucia, US Virgin Islands are supporting this new regional organization of Optometrists

CARIOA is associated with the World Council of Optometry(WCO)  ,in January 2009 the CARIOA Governing Board took the decision to join the Asociacion Latinoamericana de Optometria y Optica (ALDOO) as a subregion ,( www.aldoo.org .) which is the regional body responsible for Latin America & the Caribbean under WCO rules.