PAHO and CARICOM Sign Landmark Strategy to Strengthen Public Health in the Caribbean
L-R) CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett and PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa
“The [PAHO-CARICOM Joint Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) 2025-2029] is a continuation of a process. CARICOM has prioritised health outcomes for a long time, and this long-standing commitment of CARICOM will continue.”
Dr Carla Barnett | Secretary-General | CARICOM
Wednesday, 23 July 2025 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown): The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Tuesday, signed a Joint Subregional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) aimed at enhancing regional public health response and resilience through coordinated technical collaboration. The agreement was formalised by CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnettand PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa.
This joint strategy establishes a five-year plan for concerted action to address common regional health issues, uniting CARICOM, PAHO, subregional, and international partners to bolster the Caribbean’s health agenda. It focuses on five key strategic priorities to steer PAHO’s technical assistance in the Caribbean subregion. All fifteen (15) CARICOM Member States as well as six the (6) Associate Members will benefit from this strategy.
Dr Barnett, in her address, recogised PAHO’s continued collaboration, noting,
"The [PAHO-CARICOM Joint Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) 2025-2029] is a continuation of a process. CARICOM has prioritised health outcomes for a long time, and this long-standing commitment of CARICOM will continue.”
The Secretary General expressed that this landmark moment in the partnership with PAHO, solidifies the ongoing support for the development and implementation of public health policies across the Region and ensures good health investments for the People of the Community.
Dr Barnett shares more of her perspective on the JSCS below.
“This signing marks a milestone in a long-standing partnership rooted in trust, mutual respect, and a shared vision for the health and well-being of the peoples of the Caribbean,” said Dr Barbosa, emphasising that “the Caribbean faces unique and interconnected public health challenges: from the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, to the effects of climate change, to the urgency of digital transformation and the need for resilient health systems. These challenges do not stop at borders, and neither can our solutions.”
The PAHO Director provides more insight on the organisation’s long-standing partnership with CARICOM below.
Guyana’s Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, echoed the significance of the Joint Strategy, stating,
“This strategy affirms that health is not just a service, it is a right. In the Caribbean, that right must not be determined by geography, income, or age.”
Minister Anthony shares more of his perspective on the JSCS below.
Helpful Links:
Noncommunicable Diseases | Data/Statistics
https://www.paho.org/en/topics/noncommunicable-diseases
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