The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today marked a bold step forward in regional health cooperation with the official signing of the Joint PAHO-WHO-CARICOM Subregional Cooperation Strategy 2025–2029 (JSCS). The signing ceremony, held at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters, brought together leaders and health officials from across the region in a shared commitment to reimagine the future of health and well-being in the Caribbean.
The documents were formally signed by PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, and CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, in the presence of Honourable Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health; Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA); and other senior officials and stakeholders.
The JSCS serves as a transformative five-year blueprint designed to address persistent and emerging health challenges, including non-communicable diseases, climate vulnerability, demographic shifts, health workforce migration, and mental health crises. It builds on the foundation of previous frameworks such as Caribbean Cooperation in Health IV, the PAHO Strategic Plan, the CARICOM Strategic Plan 2022–2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The strategy is grounded in equity, resilience, and action,” stated Honourable Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health, during his remarks at the signing ceremony.
He underscored the need for the region to move beyond traditional approaches, stressing, “We must act boldly, think creatively, and collaborate deeply to address the evolving health challenges facing the Caribbean.”
Dr. Anthony further affirmed the fundamental principle guiding the strategy: “Health is not just a service, it is a human right. In the Caribbean, that right must not be determined by geography, income, or age.”
The five strategic priorities that chart the path forward in the JSCS are:
– Enhancing resilience of Primary Health Care- based health systems
– Advancing climate adaptation, mitigation, disaster preparedness and response to enhance environmental sustainability, and health security
– Strengthen multisectoral action towards the surveillance, prevention and control of NCDs, violence, injuries, mental health conditions and their risk factors
– Advancing the prevention, control and elimination of priority communicable diseases through subregional coordination with One Health Approach.
– Enhancing Technical Cooperation through Partnership, Resource Mobilisation and Advocacy.
The Minister concluded his remarks by highlighting that the strategy calls for enhanced collaboration among CARICOM, PAHO, CARPHA, the University of the West Indies (UWI), and other regional institutions. He emphasised that this collective effort is essential to fostering innovation, strengthening human capital, and advancing digital and community resilience across the Caribbean.
Honourable Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health giving remarks
PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, and CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, official signing of the Joint PAHO-WHO-CARICOM Subregional Cooperation Strategy 2025–2029