In a significant move to address regional security challenges, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Small Arms Survey have formalized a three-year strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to enhance arms and ammunition management while mitigating risks associated with illicit small arms throughout the Caribbean region.
The agreement represents a novel convergence of public health expertise and security research, combining CARPHA’s regional health leadership with the Small Arms Survey’s internationally recognized capabilities in arms monitoring and security analysis. This interdisciplinary approach seeks to develop comprehensive solutions to the complex interplay between armed violence and public health outcomes.
CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar emphasized the critical nature of this collaboration during the signing ceremony, noting that violence and firearm-related injuries present escalating public health challenges across Caribbean communities. The partnership will enable strengthened surveillance systems, generate robust research data, and support member states through evidence-based policies designed to protect civilian lives and enhance community wellbeing.
Dr. Nicolas Florquin, Head of Data and Analytics at the Small Arms Survey, welcomed the agreement as a strategic advancement in regional security response capabilities. The Geneva-based organization, an associated program of the Geneva Graduate Institute, brings decades of specialized experience in reducing illicit arms proliferation and armed violence through policy-relevant knowledge generation and capacity development.
Under the agreement’s framework, the partners will pursue five key objectives: integrating firearm-related injury data into health surveillance systems; conducting joint studies on the health impacts of firearm violence; developing capacity-building materials for multiple government ministries; supporting evidence-based policymaking for Caricom governments; and facilitating public awareness campaigns using research findings.
This innovative partnership marks a paradigm shift in addressing armed violence through public health methodologies, underscoring CARPHA’s commitment to regional health security while supporting member states in creating safer environments for Caribbean citizens.