Through its active participation in the ONE Caribbean Connect Regional Policy Dialogue, a forum recently convened by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it has reiterated its dedication to enhancing digital health cooperation.
Representing CARPHA at the event were several key figures: Dr. Lisa Indar, the agency’s Executive Director and Project Director of CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund Project; Mr. Gabriel Garcia, head of CARPHA’s Information Technology Department; Dr. Brian Armour, a Technical Advisor for the same project; and Mr. Brendon Bhagwandeen, a biostatistician involved in the Pandemic Fund Project.
CARPHA, via press release, stated that the two-day high-level conference gathered digital health specialists from the IDB, CARICOM, CARPHA, and PAHO, along with participants from seven Caribbean nations—The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The primary aim was to advance a collective strategy to enhance and secure the exchange of health information that is interoperable across borders, with the target of initiating cross-national health data sharing by 2028 within the Caribbean.
This regional dialogue, hosted by the IDB Group under its ONE Caribbean initiative, reportedly builds upon the momentum generated by the Pan-American Highway for Digital Health (PH4H). The PH4H is a collaborative effort between the IDB and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Contributions from CARICOM, CARPHA, and PAHO provided technical guidance that helped shape the shared commitment.
IDB representatives led and facilitated critical sessions and strategic planning exercises, while PAHO offered technical expertise related to digital health and health surveillance. CARICOM contributed insights on regional digital transformation through its leadership in ICT for Development.
Meanwhile, CARPHA showcased its application of digital surveillance, exemplified by its real-time, integrated early warning and response surveillance systems (REIWSS), which are being implemented through the agency’s Pandemic Fund Grant, with the IDB serving as an implementing partner.
The release indicated that a significant outcome of the dialogue was the adoption of the ONE Caribbean Digital Health Roadmap Commitment. This document delineates priority actions related to governance, legal and policy frameworks, and interoperability, all aimed at facilitating secure health data exchange among participating nations. Throughout the event, representatives from CARICOM, CARPHA, and PAHO contributed technical inputs to support this regional initiative.
Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.
We will delete comments that:
See our full comment/user policy/agreement.