Avellon Williams
KINGSTON, JAMAICA- A further US$750,000 in funding has been provided by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
PAHO’s Biennial Work Plan covers two-year funding periods, the last of which ended in December 2021.
The latest allocation will cover CARPHA’s 2022 and 2023 program implementation schedule, which aims to improve regional public health services.
Among the projects and activities targeted are improving access to safe and affordable medicines, implementing policies to promote healthy food environments, and strengthening countries’ capacities to monitor communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
Dean Chambliss, PAHO’s Sub-regional Programme Director, and Dr. Joy St John, CARPHA’s Executive Director, signed an 18-month subsidiary funding agreement in a semi-virtual ceremony at the regional body’s headquarters in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago.
In his remarks, Chambliss described the signing as “an important milestone” and “perhaps a crucial element in implementing the strategic framework agreement between our organizations”.
“These agreements not only provide structure to our alliance but also demonstrate our commitment to working together to advance public health in the Caribbean region, on behalf of our Member States and Caribbean people,” he concluded.
Chambliss said CARPHA has evolved from its beginnings in 2013 to become a “leader in public health”.
Along with enhancing national capacities for delivering public health goods and services and providing laboratory support for disease surveillance, CARPHA coordinates responses to public health crises in the Caribbean.
“The COVID-19 pandemic experience has clearly demonstrated that CARPHA is a critical partner to all Caribbean Member States, as they tackle both acute and chronic health challenges,” the Programme Director added.
Chambliss said PAHO looked forward to its continued strong collaboration and partnership with CARPHA, “in support of health development in the Caribbean, with universal health access and coverage for all.”
Dr. St John noted in her remarks that CARPHA’s mandate to provide public health services to the region will remain a priority “as we align our activities with our strategic objectives and the overall vision of Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH).”
CARPHA was established as the implementing mechanism for the CCH to promote collaborative action in addressing the critical public health issues in the region.
It is with great pleasure that CARPHA welcomes the continued collaboration with PAHO, one of its long-standing partners…, both as a funding partner and a technical partner, in providing healthcare to the citizens of Caricom,” Dr. St John stated.
