Caribbean Public Health Agency

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago[2] which was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2011[1] and began operation in 2013.[2]

Caribbean Public Health Agency
Agency overview
Formed2013 (2013)[1]
Preceding agencies
  • The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)
  • The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC)
  • The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI)
  • The Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC)
  • The Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (CRDTL)
JurisdictionCARICOM
Headquarters Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
10°40′26″N 61°31′28″W
Agency executive
  • Dr. Cheryl Joy St. John, Executive Director
Websitehttp://www.carpha.org/

CARPHA combines the functions of five pre-existing regional health institutions:[3]

  • The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)
  • The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC)
  • The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI)
  • The Caribbean Health Research Centre (CHRC)
  • The Caribbean Research and Drug Treatment Laboratory (CRDTL)

History

The CARPHA was established in 2013.

On 14 May 2014, the CARPHA acknowledged the gift by the Government of Canada of a Biosafety level 3 laboratory.[4][5]

Role

CARPHA's self-stated mission is "As a professional organisation to build member states' capacity to prevent disease and promote health and wellness through leadership, partnership and innovation in public health".[6]

CARPHA aims to address regional issues including:[6]

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic CARPHA has been performing tests for 18 countries in the region but warned on 5 April 2020, that they were running short on reagents required for COVID-19 testing and expected to be able to continue testing for three weeks.[7]

On 9 April 2020, the European Union announced a grant of €8M (US$8.6M), which will be implemented by the Caribbean Public Health Agency, for the fight against the coronavirus.[8]

On 11 April 2020, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados who is the CARICOM Chair, called a special Heads of Government meeting to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and establish a common public health protocol, and border policy.[9] The governments have agreed to the proposal in a virtual meeting.[10]

Membership

CARPHA has 26 full members throughout the Americas.[11]

CountryJoinedPopulation[12][13]
Anguilla - 14,731
Antigua and Barbuda - 96,286
Aruba - 105,845
Bahamas - 385,637
Barbados - 286,641
Belize - 383,071
Bermuda - 62,756
BES Islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba) - 25,711
British Virgin Islands - 29,802
Cayman Islands - 64,174
Curaçao - 162,752
Dominica - 71,625
Grenada - 111,454
Haiti - 11,123,178
Guyana - 779,006
Jamaica - 2,934,847
Montserrat - 4,993
Saint Kitts and Nevis - 52,441
Saint Lucia - 181,889
Sint Maarten - 41,940
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 110,211
Suriname - 575,990
Trinidad and Tobago - 1,389,843
Turks and Caicos Islands - 37,665

See also

For similar agencies, please see the List of national public health agencies

References
  1. "CARICOM to Establish Health Agency". Caribbean Journal. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. "Remarks by Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, (CARICOM) At The Launch of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)". CARICOM. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  3. "Caribbean Public Health Agency to launch operations in 2013". Kaieteur News. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. "BSL-3 lab funded by Canada initiative of The Global Partnership Program Press Release". Germfree Laboratories, Inc. 20 May 2014.
  5. "Canada donates Biosafety Level 3 modular laboratory to Caribbean health authorities". Homeland Security News Wire. News Wire Publications, LLC News Wire Publications, LLC. 2 June 2014.
  6. "About The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)". CARPHA. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  7. "Global shortage of key ingredient could affect COVID-19 testing in Caribbean". Jamaica Observer. 5 April 2020.
  8. "EU provides US$8.6M grant for C'bean to combat COVID-19". Kaieteur News. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  9. "COVID-19: Special CARICOM Heads of Government meeting scheduled". Loop News Barbados. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  10. "Caricom-staatshoofden stemmen in met gezamenlijk gezondheidsprotocol". Suriname Herald (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  11. "Caribbean Public Health Agency Member States". The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  12. ""World Population prospects – Population division"". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  13. ""Overall total population" – World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision" (xslx). population.un.org (custom data acquired via website). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.