The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in partnership with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), has officially inaugurated the GOARN Regional Outbreak Response Scenario Programme at The Brix, Autograph Collection.
A CARPHA press release said that this pioneering initiative highlights its dedication to developing innovative, region-specific strategies to enhance public health emergency preparedness and response efforts throughout the Caribbean.
The programme is financed through CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund Project, with CARPHA acting as the executing body and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) serving as the implementing agency.
The Caribbean’s distinctive environment—characterized by numerous small, highly interconnected islands, open borders, heavy dependence on tourism, and climate change-related vulnerabilities—poses significant challenges for containing the swift spread of infectious diseases. These factors, combined with disparities in surveillance and laboratory infrastructure, increase the region’s susceptibility to health emergencies. In recent years, the Caribbean has faced a surge in complex crises, including destructive hurricanes and outbreaks of diseases such as measles, dengue, chikungunya, and cholera. As travel, tourism, and migration continue to rise, the need for a well-trained, coordinated, and multidisciplinary emergency response system becomes ever more pressing.
The press release stated that this intensive five-day simulation exercise, scheduled from March 16 to 20, 2026, involves 24 public health experts from CARPHA and seven member states. These professionals hail from various fields, including risk communication, logistical support, disease surveillance, laboratory services, clinical management, and infection prevention and control, illustrating the multifaceted nature of outbreak response.
The global GOARN team includes specialists from the United States and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Western Australia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) in Brazil, the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Moving beyond basic orientation, this programme emphasizes operational simulation, immersing participants in a realistic outbreak scenario designed to evaluate their ability to respond effectively under sustained pressure.
During the opening ceremony, CARPHA’s Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Indar, underscored the programme’s importance in bolstering the Caribbean’s capacity to manage outbreaks.
She stated, “The Caribbean’s dynamics demand a well-trained, coordinated, rapid, and multidisciplinary response, reminding us that an outbreak can arise with little warning, and the timeliness and effectiveness of our response can determine whether it remains a contained event or escalates into a public health crisis capable of overwhelming national health systems. The Caribbean context also forces us to recognize the need for an even more effective response to the next crisis and the continued need to strengthen our deployable workforce, operational coordination, and emergency response systems at CARPHA and across the region. This programme reflects not only the expanding recognition of the Caribbean’s and CARPHA’s role in global health security, but also our collective commitment to strengthening the region’s preparedness and response capacity.”
Armand Bejtullahu, the Manager of GOARN, highlighted the significance of such initiatives in enhancing regional response capabilities. He stated, “Effective outbreak response depends on a ready, well-coordinated workforce. Through our partnership with CARPHA, GOARN is working to strengthen regional expertise and ensure responders have the tools and capabilities needed to act rapidly in emergency settings. Through these efforts, GOARN continues to operationalise WHO’s Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) framework, strengthening national capacities while linking responders regionally and globally for faster and more coordinated responses to public health events.”
The Honourable Dr. Lackram Bodoe, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Health, also expressed his appreciation for the initiative, remarking that it “marked not simply the start of another training exercise, but the continuation of a shared journey toward resilience, unity, and preparedness in the face of global health threats.”
This Outbreak Response Scenario Programme marks the second phase of the esteemed GOARN initiative. It follows the inaugural Regional GOARN Tier 1.5 Orientation to National and International Outbreak Response Workshop held in August 2025 in Trinidad & Tobago, which involved 34 participants. That foundational training aimed to bolster core deployment skills among CARPHA staff and responders from ten member states.
By enhancing the expertise of a diverse group of public health professionals across the Caribbean, this programme aims to strengthen the region’s overall outbreak response workforce. Participants will develop their ability to support swift, coordinated interventions against emerging infectious diseases, thereby bolstering both national and regional resilience.
According to CARPHA, as the Caribbean faces ongoing threats from infectious diseases—whether new or re-emerging—investments in workforce development, regional cooperation, and international partnerships remain essential. Through initiatives like the Regional GOARN Outbreak Response Scenario Programme, CARPHA is actively reinforcing the region’s preparedness infrastructure and its capacity to respond decisively to future public health emergencies.
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