Carib Scope

分类： health

  • Regional Measles Spike Brings New Health Warning for Belizeans

    Regional Measles Spike Brings New Health Warning for Belizeans

    As of early April 2026, public health officials in Belize have issued a pressing warning to residents over a surging measles outbreak sweeping across the Americas, with transmission risks amplified by nearby cases in neighboring nations. Just three months into the year, the Pan-American region has already logged 75% of the total measles cases reported across all of 2025, and public health data confirms case counts continue to climb at an accelerating rate. Eleven confirmed deaths have already been linked to the current outbreak, nearly all concentrated in Belize’s bordering countries Guatemala and Mexico, a geographic proximity that has put cross-border spread at the top of local health authorities’ list of concerns.

    Contrary to a common misperception that measles is a trivial childhood illness, health leaders stress it is an extremely contagious viral infection that can trigger permanent, life-altering health complications. After exposure, symptoms typically develop within a window of 7 to 21 days. Initial signs include high fever, nasal congestion, and inflamed, watery eyes, which are followed several days later by a distinct rash that originates at the hairline before spreading across the entire body. A particularly insidious feature of the virus is its ability to spread before an infected person shows obvious symptoms: carriers can transmit the pathogen starting four days before the rash emerges, and for four days after it appears, meaning many people spread the illness without knowing they are infected.

    Despite the alarming spread of the outbreak, Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness emphasizes that measles is entirely preventable through vaccination. The widely used MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is documented as safe and extremely effective, with a two-dose series offering lifelong protection against the virus. Preliminary data from 2025 shows Belize achieved an 88% coverage rate for the first dose of the MMR vaccine, but gaps in immunization leave large swathes of the population vulnerable. Unvaccinated people face a 90% chance of contracting measles if exposed to the virus, making widespread vaccination not just a matter of individual health, but a critical defense for community-wide herd immunity.

    In response to the current threat, Belizean health authorities are calling on all unvaccinated residents of all ages to schedule an appointment at their nearest public health facility to get vaccinated as soon as possible. For residents planning cross-border travel to neighboring countries or other destinations in the Americas, the Ministry strongly advises that unvaccinated travelers complete their vaccine series at least two weeks before departing, to allow the body to build full immunity ahead of potential exposure.

  • Health Ministry Warns of Growing Measles Outbreak in the Americas

    Health Ministry Warns of Growing Measles Outbreak in the Americas

    A public health emergency is unfolding across the Americas, with Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) sounding the alarm over a rapidly accelerating measles outbreak that has already surpassed three-quarters of 2025’s total case count in just the first three months of 2026. As of early April 2026, the vast majority of confirmed infections and 11 recorded fatalities linked to the outbreak are concentrated in neighboring Guatemala and Mexico, regional public health authorities confirmed. Officials warn that case numbers are projected to rise steadily in the coming weeks, putting unvaccinated populations across the broader region at heightened risk.

    Measles, a highly contagious viral infection, poses severe risks of long-term health complications for those who contract it. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets, and infected individuals can transmit the pathogen as early as four days before a defining rash develops, and for four days after the rash appears. Initial symptoms, which emerge between one and three weeks after exposure, include high fever, runny nose, and inflamed red eyes, before a characteristic rash spreads from the hairline across the chest, back, limbs and entire body.

    Despite the alarming spread of the outbreak, public health officials emphasize that measles is entirely preventable through proven, safe vaccination. The combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine offers robust protection against all three diseases, with two doses conferring lifelong immunity for most recipients. In Belize, 2025 data shows 87.9% coverage for the first dose of the MMR vaccine, but even this coverage level leaves a meaningful share of the population vulnerable. Health authorities warn that 90% of unvaccinated people who come into contact with the measles virus will develop an infection, underscoring the urgent need to close vaccination gaps to stop the outbreak’s spread.

  • Hair growth products sold on Amazon are recalled over poisoning risk

    Hair growth products sold on Amazon are recalled over poisoning risk

    A public safety alert has been issued for two popular over-the-counter hair growth products, after regulators identified a critical packaging flaw that puts young children at risk of accidental poisoning. The two items affected by the voluntary recall announced last week are Tuymec’s Minoxidil Hair Growth Spray and TecFlox Hair and Beard Growth Serum. Both products contain the active ingredient minoxidil, a widely used topical treatment for pattern hair loss. Under the U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act, all products containing this ingredient are legally required to be packaged in child-resistant containers that are difficult for young children to open. Unfortunately, inspection confirmed that the recalled batches of these two serums failed to meet this mandatory safety standard. In total, approximately 6,200 units of the products are being pulled from distribution channels and retail shelves. The Consumer Safety Commission (CSPC) has issued clear guidance for consumers who may have purchased these affected items. Authorities are urging anyone who currently owns the recalled serums to immediately move the bottles to a location that is completely out of the sight and reach of young children, to eliminate any immediate risk of accidental exposure. The CSPC also notes that consumers are eligible to contact the product distributors to request free replacement containers that meet the required child-resistant safety standards. As of the announcement, no reports of accidental exposure, poisoning, or related injuries linked to these recalled products have been recorded by regulators. Public safety officials continue to encourage consumers to cross-check their personal hair care supplies against the recall list and follow safety guidance promptly to prevent any avoidable incidents.

  • PAHO director warns of ‘escalating surge’ of dengue and other diseases

    PAHO director warns of ‘escalating surge’ of dengue and other diseases

    LYON, France – At the global One Health Summit hosted by the French government, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa has issued a stark warning: the explosive, unprecedented growth of dengue and other arboviral diseases stands as a clear warning sign of how accelerating environmental shifts are upending public health systems across the globe.

  • NHF commissions solar project at main warehouse with US $1.3m support from Direct Relief

    NHF commissions solar project at main warehouse with US $1.3m support from Direct Relief

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a landmark step toward boosting sustainability and operational resilience in Jamaica’s public health system, the National Health Fund (NHF) has formally launched a new grid-tied solar energy project at its central pharmaceutical warehouse located on Marcus Garvey Drive in downtown Kingston. Completed in February 2026, the project marked its official rollout at an inauguration ceremony held at the facility on Wednesday, April 8, drawing senior government officials, NHF leadership, and representatives from funding partner Direct Relief.

    The 535-kilowatt photovoltaic system is built to cut the warehouse’s dependence on Jamaica’s national electricity grid and drive down long-term operational expenses for the public health agency. It incorporates 950 high-efficiency solar panels, paired with on-site battery storage and advanced power inverters to deliver consistent, stable energy output.

    This initiative forms a core component of the NHF’s organization-wide energy conservation strategy, and directly aligns with the Jamaican government’s national targets to scale up renewable energy adoption across all public sector infrastructure. The approximately $1.3 million USD investment was made possible through a collaborative funding partnership with Direct Relief, a global international humanitarian donor organization focused on expanding access to critical health resources worldwide.

    During the site tour following the inauguration ceremony, Richard Allen, NHF’s Director of Institutional Benefits, Projects and Maintenance, walked attendees through the system’s battery and inverter technology. In attendance at the event were Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, NHF Board Chairman Shane Dalling, NHF Chief Executive Officer Everton Anderson, NHF Board Member Dr. Kamal Mars, Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness, and Direct Relief Vice President of Program Operations Genevieve Bitter.

    Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Minister Tufton framed the solar installation as a blueprint for the future of Jamaica’s health infrastructure. “It is almost expected that the NHF should now embrace the supporting infrastructure through technology, in this case the solarisation of this facility and others, as part of its growth and relevance,” he stated, noting that the smart, sustainable facility will set a new standard for public health sites across the country.

    Speaker Holness, who shared reflections on her long-standing collaboration with Direct Relief, expressed gratitude for the organization’s consistent support of Jamaica’s health sector. “Thank you for all the support in the form of medication, training and inventory management and now this solar system,” she said. “It is just a wide variety and range of medical support that you have given over the years.”

    Direct Relief’s Bitter emphasized that reliable energy access is not a discretionary benefit for pharmaceutical storage, but a non-negotiable requirement to protect public health. “This facility plays a central role in safeguarding essential medicines, vaccines and health commodities,” Bitter explained. “Reliable energy is not a luxury in pharmaceutical storage – it is a necessity.”

    For NHF CEO Anderson, the project delivers far more than just cost savings—it builds critical climate resilience for Jamaica’s health supply chain, which faces growing risks from extreme weather events. “For 80 per cent of the year, we are likely to be off the grid,” Anderson noted. “With the frequency of hurricanes we’re having and other disasters, this is more than savings only. This is about resilience.”

    He further clarified that the integrated battery storage system will ensure uninterrupted power for the warehouse’s temperature-controlled cold rooms, which store life-saving refrigerated medications that are vulnerable to power outages. The entire pharmaceutical division, which relies on the Marcus Garvey Drive facility for national inventory storage, will benefit from this enhanced reliability.

    NHF Board Chairman Dalling framed the project as a strategic investment that aligns with both fiscal and national sustainability priorities. “This initiative future-proofs our operations in a world where energy costs are rising,” Dalling said. “By embracing renewable energy, we are contributing to a national effort to build a more sustainable and energy-aware society, while ensuring more of our resources can be directed towards supporting the health and well-being of the Jamaican people.”

    This installation marks the second comprehensive solar energy system deployed by the NHF, following an earlier $6 million USD project at the agency’s Greater Portmore Pharmacy location. Jamaican renewable energy firm Sun Terra Energy Solutions carried out the installation work on the new warehouse system, which is projected to generate significant annual operational cost cuts while lowering the facility’s overall carbon footprint.

  • Jamaican teen receives remote kidney transplant in US hospital first

    Jamaican teen receives remote kidney transplant in US hospital first

    For 12 years, Arianna Crockett navigated the challenges of chronic kidney disease, but a groundbreaking medical procedure at Florida’s Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has given the 18-year-old a new lease on life. In what marks a first for the pediatric hospital, Crockett — a U.S.-born teen raised in Jamaica who was battling end-stage (Stage 5) kidney failure — successfully received a kidney from a remotely located living donor this past Wednesday.

    The path to transplant began long before the historic procedure. Crockett first received her kidney disease diagnosis at age 6. After growing up and attending school through ninth grade at Jamaica’s Victory Academy, she moved to South Florida three years ago to complete high school, as her health gradually declined. In January of this year, her kidneys completely failed, forcing her onto a rigid schedule of dialysis three times each week to stay alive.

    Last year, her desperate search for a donor made headlines both in Jamaica and the U.S. Her mother, Tracy Evans, publicly pleaded for a compatible living donor to step forward, saying at the time, “We remain strong and trust God that there is a kidney for her.” That prayer was answered by Sara Goodall, a 40-year-old mother and the wife of Crockett’s cousin, who agreed to donate one of her kidneys despite living across the country from the teen.

    On the morning of the transplant, surgeons removed Goodall’s kidney at her local hospital hundreds of miles from South Florida. The organ was then flown by air to Crockett’s South Florida location, where surgical teams at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital were waiting to implant it into the teen Wednesday evening. This cross-country remote donor process marks the first time such a procedure has ever been completed at the hospital, setting a new precedent for future pediatric transplant cases.

    In interviews leading up to the surgery, both recipient and donor described the same mix of emotions, calling themselves “nervous-cited” — a blend of anxious nerves and excited anticipation. Just hours before her transplant, during her final dialysis session, Crockett reflected on how surreal the moment felt after years of waiting. “It’s very surreal, and nerve-wracking. So I’m nervous-cited, nervous and excited,” she told local outlet the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

    For Goodall, the decision to donate came down to giving the teen the second chance she had worked so hard for. She shared that she has long admired Crockett’s persistent positive outlook on life despite her years of health struggles, and jumped at the chance to give her the opportunity to live a life free of constant dialysis. The successful procedure not only changes Crockett’s future, but also opens new doors for organ transplant access for patients waiting for life-saving matches across the country.

  • Dominica’s NCD Coordinator for World Health Day, 2026

    Dominica’s NCD Coordinator for World Health Day, 2026

    To mark World Health Day 2026, held annually on April 7, Dr. Lynora Fevrier-Drigo, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Coordinator for Dominica, delivered a national address that balanced urgent calls to address pressing domestic public health challenges with measured optimism for the island nation’s health future. Aligning with the 2026 global theme “Together for Health: Stand with Science,” Dr. Fevrier-Drigo centered her remarks on three core pillars: cross-sector unity, evidence-led policy and programming, and shared collective responsibility for public health outcomes across the country.

    In her address, Dr. Fevrier-Drigo acknowledged that non-communicable diseases remain the single largest threat to public health in Dominica. Up-to-date national public health data shows 32% of Dominican adults live with hypertension, while 18% are diagnosed with diabetes. More than 20% of the total population struggles with overweight or obesity, rates that place significant long-term strain on both individual health and national healthcare systems. Rather than framing these statistics only as a cause for alarm, Dr. Fevrier-Drigo framed them as a sign of progress: improved surveillance and growing public awareness have helped more people access testing and diagnosis, reflecting a more informed population and a more responsive public health system than in decades past.

    Dominica has made substantial investments in upgrading healthcare infrastructure to tackle NCDs in recent years, particularly at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital. The facility has expanded its diagnostic and treatment capabilities to include cutting-edge imaging and radiology services, a fully equipped modern pathology laboratory, and specialized dialysis care for patients with chronic kidney disease. Through a new partnership with the China Institute for Cardiovascular Imaging, the hospital now offers advanced cardiac diagnostic services including echocardiograms and cardiac MRIs—medical resources that rank among the first of their kind available across the Caribbean region.

    Beyond specialized hospital care, the government has prioritized strengthening primary healthcare access to ensure NCD screening and ongoing chronic disease management is available free of charge to all residents in every district across the island. This decentralized model, Dr. Fevrier-Drigo noted, reflects the nation’s unwavering commitment to health equity, guaranteeing that all Dominicans can access life-saving care regardless of their income level or geographic location, removing barriers that once delayed diagnosis and treatment for rural and low-income communities.

    Policy reform has been another core pillar of Dominica’s national NCD response. The country has adopted and implemented all key World Health Organization recommendations for reducing NCD risk, including higher tobacco taxation, mandatory clear nutrition labeling for processed foods, and legal restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products to consumers. Dominica has also deepened regional public health collaboration through the Pan American Health Organization, joining the flagship Hearts in the Americas initiative designed to expand access to cardiovascular care across the Western Hemisphere. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the nation has formally committed to cutting premature mortality from NCDs by 30% by 2030.

    Mental health has also been elevated as a top national public health priority, with ongoing work to update outdated mental health legislation and fully integrate mental health support services into primary care settings across the country. This shift, Dr. Fevrier-Drigo explained, reflects a growing understanding that holistic, person-centered care is essential to effectively addressing NCDs, as mental health and chronic physical health outcomes are deeply interconnected.

    Dr. Fevrier-Drigo emphasized that sustained progress cannot be achieved by the government alone, noting that cross-sector collaboration has already driven meaningful momentum across the country. Agricultural programs are expanding local production of nutrient-dense fresh produce, making healthy food options more accessible and affordable for all residents. Primary and secondary schools have integrated health and life skills curricula to help young people build lifelong healthy habits. Meanwhile, community organizations, faith-based groups, sports clubs, and local workplaces have emerged as key hubs for promoting physical activity, holistic wellness, and shared accountability for public health.

    The address closed with a direct call to action for individual Dominican citizens to join the national movement for better health. Dr. Fevrier-Drigo highlighted that free regular screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol are available at every local health center, and encouraged all residents to take advantage of these services to catch potential health risks early. She also promoted purchasing locally grown produce as both a health-conscious choice that supports personal wellness and a patriotic action that bolsters the island’s domestic agricultural sector. Leveraging Dominica’s abundant natural landscapes, she urged residents to incorporate regular physical activity—from daily walking to community sports—into their routines, and to encourage friends, family, and neighbors to adopt healthier habits as well.

    “We are building a healthier Dominica, and the science tells us we are on the right path. What we need now is for every Dominican to walk it with us. Together for health, stand with science, stand with Dominica,” Dr. Fevrier-Drigo concluded.

  • EY Suriname ondersteunt geboortezorg Sint Vincentius Ziekenhuis

    EY Suriname ondersteunt geboortezorg Sint Vincentius Ziekenhuis

    A leading global professional services firm, EY Suriname, has announced a targeted donation to Sint Vincentius Hospital to upgrade the institution’s Gynecology and Obstetrics Department. The financial contribution, which is earmarked to improve maternal care environments, forms a key part of the hospital’s ongoing Adopt A Room community improvement program.

    Launched in February 2024, the Adopt A Room initiative outlines a phased plan to fully renovate patient rooms used by expectant and new mothers before, during, and after childbirth. EY’s donation will directly fund critical upgrades to these high-use spaces, advancing the program’s core goal of building a safe, dignified care environment within a department that serves as a foundational hub for maternal and newborn health across the region.

    Representatives from EY Suriname noted that the donation aligns with the organization’s long-term corporate commitment to delivering measurable, sustainable social impact. This investment also intentionally advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, the global framework target focused on ensuring universal good health and well-being for all populations.

    Beyond upgrading physical facilities, the project is designed to deliver dual benefits: it will improve daily working conditions for clinical and care staff at the department, while also elevating overall comfort and positive care experiences for new mothers and their family members throughout the childbirth journey.

  • Hospiten announces US$80M Punta Cana hospital project

    Hospiten announces US$80M Punta Cana hospital project

    To mark World Health Day, leading healthcare provider Hospiten has announced a major new infrastructure development: the construction of a state-of-the-art medical facility, Hospiten Punta Cana, designed to deliver comprehensive, world-class patient care rooted in cutting-edge innovation and environmental sustainability.

    This transformative healthcare project carries an $80 million total investment and spans more than 11,000 square meters of purpose-built construction space. When completed, the facility will house 68 private patient rooms, 23 dedicated consultation offices, 16 fully equipped emergency care units, 8 intensive care unit beds, and an advanced surgical wing featuring three operating rooms. Highlights of the surgical suite include a specialized hybrid operating theater outfitted with top-tier imaging and hemodynamics technology to support complex, high-precision procedures.

    Unveiled by Hospiten Executive President Juan José Hernández Rubio, the initiative is projected to deliver widespread economic benefits to the Punta Cana region even before it opens its doors. Over the course of construction, the project will create more than 300 local jobs, and once operational, the hospital will employ approximately 250 full-time healthcare and administrative professionals. Beyond direct employment, the new facility is positioned to strengthen the fast-growing medical tourism sector in the Dominican Republic, drawing international patients to the region.

    hospiten Punta Cana will integrate some of the most advanced diagnostic and treatment technology available in modern healthcare, including spectral computed tomography, artificial intelligence-assisted magnetic resonance imaging, 4D ultrasound, 3D mammography, and dedicated suites for minimally invasive surgery. All clinical services and infrastructure are designed to meet the most stringent global healthcare quality standards.

    In a forward-thinking approach to medical infrastructure development, the hospital has been planned from the ground up with sustainability as a core priority. The project incorporates on-site renewable energy generation, low-environmental-impact building materials, and resource-efficient construction practices. Hospiten has set ambitious certification goals for the facility, targeting LEED Zero carbon certification, Well Platinum health-focused building certification, net zero carbon emissions, and JCI (Joint Commission International) quality accreditation, the global gold standard for hospital safety and care.

    Long term, the new medical center is strategically positioned to emerge as a leading regional healthcare hub for the entire Caribbean. Its presence will strengthen local and regional healthcare capacity, improve health safety for the millions of tourists that visit the Punta Cana area annually, and drive sustained economic and social development across the region.

  • PRESS RELEASE: CARPHA celebrates World Health Day and calls for stronger integrated surveillance and One Health action

    PRESS RELEASE: CARPHA celebrates World Health Day and calls for stronger integrated surveillance and One Health action

    PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – April 7, 2026 – As the world marks World Health Day, public health leaders in the Caribbean are sounding the alarm over the disproportionate burden of foodborne diseases (FBDs) across the region and calling for urgent, coordinated cross-sector action under the One Health framework to address growing global health risks.

    Global public health data paints a stark picture of the scale of foodborne illness: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 600 million people around the world fall ill from contaminated food every year, leading to roughly 420,000 preventable deaths annually. Broader systemic trends, from accelerating climate change to rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and widespread environmental degradation, have amplified global health risks, with 75% of all new emerging infectious diseases recorded in 2024 traced to zoonotic origins – pathogens that jump from animals to humans.

    For the Caribbean region, these risks are particularly acute. Data from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) collected in 2019 shows that FBDs rank among the most commonly reported illnesses for both local residents and international tourists. Regional burden-of-illness research finds that roughly one in every 49 Caribbean people contracts a foodborne disease annually, a rate that jumps to one in 11 during large-scale mass gatherings. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 are the most affected, accounting for nearly 43% of all recorded FBD cases across the region.

    Beyond the direct public health toll, FBD outbreaks pose a existential threat to the Caribbean’s tourism-dependent economies. An outbreak can trigger lasting reputational damage for destination countries, lead to sharp drops in tourism revenue, and even result in harmful trade restrictions that further strain local economies. Because of this, sustained FBD surveillance is a core pillar of CARPHA’s integrated regional disease monitoring system. Strong surveillance not only helps CARPHA’s 20+ member states meet their binding obligations under the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) but also improves national performance on the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and the State Party Annual Reporting (SPAR) processes that track global health security capacity.

    This year’s World Health Day, held annually on April 7, carries the theme “Together for health. Stand with science”, which spotlights the critical role of scientific collaboration and collective action in protecting global public health. In recent years, a string of global and regional health emergencies has underscored how critical resilient surveillance infrastructure, timely cross-border data sharing, and coordinated multi-stakeholder action are to detecting, preventing, and responding to new and emerging health threats before they spiral into larger outbreaks. Public health experts increasingly agree that cross-sector, cross-discipline collaboration through the One Health approach is one of the most effective tools to address the interconnected, complex health challenges facing the world today.

    The One Health framework is built on the core recognition that human health, animal health, plant health and the health of the natural environment are deeply interconnected. Addressing modern disease risks requires coordinated, cross-sector action rather than the siloed, single-discipline approaches that have long dominated public health. To combat rising FBD and zoonotic disease risks in the Caribbean, CARPHA is doubling down on its call for a more integrated, coordinated regional public health surveillance system, centered on cross-sector collaboration under the One Health model.

    CARPHA’s work on FBD and zoonotic disease surveillance stretches back more than two decades: the program originated at the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) in 2003, and was expanded regionally after the formation of CARPHA in 2013. Today, the agency’s FBD and Zoonoses (One Health) programme is fully aligned with WHO’s recommended farm-to-table, multisectoral surveillance model that tracks risks from agricultural production through to food service and consumption.

    Speaking on World Health Day, CARPHA’s Executive Director Dr. Joy St. John (referred to as Dr. Indar in internal agency comments) emphasized that a unified, multisectoral approach is non-negotiable to protecting the health of populations across all CARPHA member states. “CARPHA has advanced a regional One Health approach to strengthen integrated surveillance for foodborne diseases and zoonoses, which includes the development of a Regional One Health FBD Action Plan, support to Member States in updating National Action Plans, and establishment of the One Health Multisectoral Steering Committee (OHMSC) to improve inter-agency coordination,” Dr. Indar explained.

    Beyond planning and coordination, CARPHA is building out new regional infrastructure to strengthen early threat detection. The agency is currently developing the Regional Integrated Early Warning and Surveillance System (RIEWSS), a cutting-edge platform that integrates health data from human, animal, and environmental sectors alongside laboratory data to speed up early detection and response to outbreaks. The agency has also expanded regional laboratory capacity through strategic cross-agency partnerships, deployed new rapid diagnostic tools across member states, and deepened collaboration with key global and regional partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Caribbean Agriculture Health Food and Safety Agency (CAHFSA), and the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET), among others.

    To build a more resilient regional public health system, CARPHA is calling on member states and regional partners to advance six key strategic priorities:
    First, strengthen integrated surveillance systems across human, animal, and environmental health sectors to improve early detection and rapid response to emerging health threats. Second, enhance real-time data sharing and interoperability, including expanded use of digital public health platforms such as DHIS2, to support timely, evidence-based decision-making at all levels. Third, expand laboratory capacity and diagnostic capabilities across all member states to ensure accurate and rapid identification of public health risks. Fourth, formalize multisectoral coordination mechanisms and governance structures to enable cohesive, effective responses at both national and regional levels. Fifth, invest in sustained workforce development and One Health training to build a skilled, agile public health workforce equipped to tackle 21st century complex health challenges. Sixth, advance evidence-based decision-making and sustained regional collaboration to strengthen health system resilience and improve health outcomes across the entire Caribbean.

    Dr. Indar noted that the interconnected nature of modern health threats – which do not respect national borders or sectoral divides – means the region can no longer rely on siloed, fragmented approaches to public health. “By strengthening integrated surveillance systems and embracing the One Health model, we can better protect our Region, improve preparedness, and ensure a more coordinated and effective response to public health emergencies,” he said. “CARPHA remains committed to working closely with Member States, regional partners, and international organisations to advance these priorities and build a more resilient, responsive, and collaborative public health system for the Caribbean.”