On Monday, May 5, 2025, health leaders, development partners, and regional stakeholders convened at the Hilton Barbados Resort for the launch of two significant regional health projects. These initiatives are supported by the UK Government’s Fleming Fund, identified as “the world’s single largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) investment in global AMR surveillance.”
The Fund reportedly “supports Low- and Middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean to use data for action on AMR, a leading global public health threat.”
These projects, to be jointly implemented by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), are described as an effort to strengthen the Caribbean’s capacity to combat the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
AMR, as defined by CARPHA, is a phenomenon where microbes evolve to resist treatment, and is a critical health threat, responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and contributing to millions more. A release from the regional health organization identifies Caribbean small island and developing states are particularly vulnerable due to existing infrastructural and logistical limitations.
One key project, “Strengthening Antimicrobial Resistance Response in the Caribbean,” led by PAHO, focuses on upgrading microbiology laboratories in ten countries: Dominica, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Montserrat.
CARPHA stated that the project will also enhance the capabilities of the Best-dos-Santos Public Health Laboratory in Barbados. Simultaneously, the Caribbean Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA), a collaboration between the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and CARPHA, is a core component of CARPHA’s broader Integrated AMR Programme. CARA is dedicated to strengthening the region’s laboratory network, expanding diagnostic services, and improving the collection and utilization of AMR data, said the report. This initiative will support Member States by expanding reference laboratory services in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia, and by establishing a digital, region-wide surveillance platform.
According to the CARPHA release, several prominent figures voiced their support for these initiatives. Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, emphasized that AMR is a “global emergency that demands urgent action,” highlighting the collaboration as a “powerful testament to our shared commitment to tackling this crisis head-on.”
Ashley Dalton, UK Minister of State for Public Health and Prevention, described AMR as “one of the most serious and complex health challenges facing our world,” and underscored the importance of partnerships with CARPHA and PAHO for safeguarding public health.
Assistant Director of PAHO, Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, noted the organization’s strong history of collaboration and reaffirmed that “AMR remains a top priority for PAHO.”
Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, stressed the importance of strengthening laboratory systems, expanding regional surveillance, and building a coordinated One Health approach through CARA, stating that AMR is “one of the most serious and complex health challenges facing our region.”
Additionally, Dr Natalie Wright, Head of UK Overseas Territories Programme and CARA project lead at the UK Health Security Agency, highlighted that “AMR is an urgent global public health and development threat, affecting all countries and regions,” and that “sustained action is required to curb inappropriate use of antibiotics, the main driver of AMR.”
Thanking the Fleming Fund Project for its support, Dr Kenneth George, Chief Medical Officer of Barbados and representative for the Prime Minister, noted Barbados’ progress in AMR surveillance and its aspiration for the Best Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory to become a regional leader in AMR.
The UKHSA role in CARA includes sharing best practices, standardizing laboratory protocols, and coordinating training programs.
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