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CARIB | Jul 5, 2022

CARPHA gets additional funding from PAHO

/ Our Today

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Funding to improve regional public health delivery among CARICOM member countries

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has received additional funding to the tune of US$750,000 from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The funding comes under PAHO’s Biennial Work Plan (BWP), which spans two-year funding periods, the last of which ended in December 2021.

The latest allocation will cover CARPHA’s programme implementation schedule for 2022 and 2023, which aims to improve regional public health delivery among member countries.

18-MONTH SUBSIDIARY FUNDING AGREEMENT

Projects and activities targeted include improving access to safe and affordable medicines, policy implementation for healthy food environments, and strengthening countries’ capacities for surveilling communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Dean Chambliss, PAHO’s sub-regional programme director, and CARPHA Executive Director Dr Joy St John, signed an 18-month subsidiary funding agreement during a recent semi-virtual ceremony at the regional body’s headquarters in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

“These agreements not only provide structure to our alliance but also symbolise the commitment we share to working together to advance public health in the Caribbean region, in support of our member states and the Caribbean people.”

Dean Chambliss, PAHO’s sub-regional programme director

Chambliss, in his remarks, described the signing as an important milestone and “perhaps, the most important element in the implementation of the strategic framework agreement between our organisations, signed last year”.

He added: “These agreements not only provide structure to our alliance but also symbolise the commitment we share to working together to advance public health in the Caribbean region, in support of our member states and the Caribbean people.”

Responding to Caribbean health situations

Chambliss said that, since commencing operations in 2013, CARPHA has evolved into the “public health leader it is today”.

He noted that, along with enhancing national capacities to deliver public health goods and services and providing laboratory support for disease surveillance to its member states, CARPHA coordinates responses to public health crises in the Caribbean.

The PAHO programme director highlighted that, “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 Caribbean Public Health Agency campus in Kingston, Jamaica.

He said PAHO looks forward to its continued strong collaboration and partnership with CARPHA.

In her remarks, St John, reiterated CARPHA’s mandate to provide public health services to the region will remain a priority “as we align our activities to our strategic objectives and the overall vision of the Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH) initiative”.

The CCH, for which CARPHA is the implementing mechanism, was established as the strategic framework to promote collaborative action in addressing the critical public health problems facing the region.

According to St John, “CARPHA looks forward to the continued collaboration with PAHO… one of its long-standing partners… both as a funding partner and a technical partner, in the delivery of care to the citizens of CARICOM”.

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