Healthcare workers
-
PM Mottley: “Barbados Joins Regional Free Movement Initiative with Pride and Purpose”
“This supports jobs, supports public services, and supports our future.” Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley As of Wednesday, 1 October 2025, Barbados joins Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in fully implementing the free movement of nationals among these Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states. This landmark step marks a new chapter in regional integration and mobility.…
Read More » -
Grenada Leads Regional Charge against Non-Communicable Diseases with PAHO Hearts Initiative
Grenada has officially achieved national scale-up of the PAHO HEARTS initiative, marking a major milestone in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are no longer just a public health concern in Grenada—they are a national priority. In 2019, NCDs accounted for over 80% of all deaths in the country, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for four of the…
Read More » -
Caribbean Health Leaders Call for Urgent Action to Build Resilient Health Systems amidst Climate and Economic Threats
“Diseases carry profound financial consequences, resulting in losses due to reduced productivity and rising healthcare costs. Such realities highlight that health is not just a social priority; it is an economic imperative.”– Hon. Philip Telesford | Minister of Health, Wellness, and Religious Affairs | Grenada and Chair of the 50th COHSOD-Health CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana | Saturday, 27…
Read More » -
COHSOD–Health Chair Urges Stronger Health Systems to Withstand Climate and Financial Shocks
“Our health systems remain vulnerable to hurricanes and floods. These events remind us of the urgent need for resilient health systems and integrated disaster response strategies. The evolving economic landscape has added another layer of complexity. Diseases carry profound financial consequences, resulting in losses due to reduced productivity and rising healthcare costs. Such realities highlight that health is not just…
Read More » -
Message | Dr Carla Barnett | Secretary-General, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) | Caribbean Wellness Day | 13 September 2025
Even as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) makes progress in advancing sustainable development, we face the continuing and costly challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes remain the leading causes of illness and death across our Region. Lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and excessive alcohol consumption, erode the health of our people,…
Read More » -
Calls for more investment in nurses as shortage hurts Region
The critical shortage of nurses in the Region and the resulting impacts on the health sector of Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are major concerns of policymakers and the Regional Nursing Body (RNB). The issues were a common thread of speakers at the opening of the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the RNB on Tuesday, 12 August in…
Read More » -
Remarks by CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General Alison Drayton at opening of Regional Nursing Body AGM
“We look to the leadership of the Regional Nursing Body to provide the strategic guidance on how the Region can advance and expand the nursing and midwifery professions to support the achievement of universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.” – Ms. Alison Drayton, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat Please read her remarks below: Ms. Alison…
Read More » -
“This Plan is both Responsive and Forward-Looking”: CARICOM DSG on CARPHA’s Strategy to Tackle Regional Health Crises
“The CARICOM Secretariat sees [the CARPHA Strategic Plan 2025–2030] as an opportunity to strengthen structured collaboration between the Secretariat, CARPHA and other regional entities, and a road map to guide how Member States align their priorities and collaborate on critical regional imperatives. Ladies and gentlemen, this will no doubt require coordinated approaches to resource mobilisation, clear implementation roles across the…
Read More » -
Caribbean Public Health Leaders Convene to Drive Action on Regional Health Security
The Caribbean’s unique vulnerabilities — from small population bases and porous borders to economic dependence on tourism and the escalating impacts of climate change — demand coordinated, context-specific, and forward-looking solutions. Strengthening our collective capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats is, therefore, not optional, it is imperative. Alison Drayton | Assistant Secretary-General | Human and Social Development…
Read More » -
World Hepatitis Day 2025 | 28 July | Theme: “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down”
The CARICOM Secretariat is marking World Hepatitis Day 2025 with a powerful message: It’s time to talk, test, and take action. This year’s theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” calls for everyone, not just health professionals, to understand, speak up, and help stop viral hepatitis. Programme Manager for Health Sector Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, Tamara Bobb Programme Manager for…
Read More »