public health
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From Dialogue to Delivery: CARICOM COHSOD Chair Urges Caribbean Leaders to Unite on Health Security
“We can treat this as just another meeting or a moment of consequence. A moment to decide whether we act as individual states or as one Caribbean. A moment to decide whether we adapt slowly or transform boldly. Our people are not waiting for reports. They are waiting for care. For access. For outcomes. We need to deliver!“ This was…
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CARICOM Recognises Nurses’ Courage and Leadership in Hurricane Melissa Response
Despite challenges, including the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, workforce shortages, migration, and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), regional nursing leadership has prevailed through strategic collaborations and innovation. These were the sentiments shared by CARICOM at the Fifty-Fourth Joint Meeting of the Executive and Education Committees and the Twenty-Third Meeting of the Practice Committee of the Regional Nursing…
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CARICOM Institutions Support Coordinated Recovery Efforts in Jamaica Following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa
Members of the High-Level team (left to right): Mr Daniel Best, Dr Lisa Indar, Ms Elizabeth Riley and Dr David Farrell (Credit: CDEMA) Monday, 3 November 2025 (CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown): In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact, governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have dispatched aid and pledged financial support to assist in the response and recovery…
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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…
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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…
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CARICOM and PAHO set course for five years of unified action to tackle regional health challenges
Today, 22 July, marks a major milestone as CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett and PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa signed the PAHO-CARICOM Joint Sub-regional Cooperation Strategy (JSCS) 2025–2029! This powerful partnership sets the course for five years of unified action to tackle regional health challenges, bringing together CARICOM, PAHO, and partners near and far to strengthen the Caribbean’s health agenda.…
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Strengthening Health Defences: How the Pandemic Agreement Benefits the Region
“We recognise that Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are usually somewhere on the back burner when it comes to meeting the needs of the population when such a global phenomenon strikes. The Pandemic Agreement is designed to ensure that, irrespective of the size of your population, irrespective of the geographic location that you are part of, you are not going…
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World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics
Critical takeaways: Agreement’s adoption follows three years of intensive negotiation launched due to gaps and inequities identified in national and global COVID-19 response. Agreement boosts global collaboration to ensure stronger, more equitable response to future pandemics. Next steps include negotiations on Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing system. Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) today formally adopted by consensus…
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Regional Nursing Body focused on better health outcomes through quality management
“The Regional Nursing Body discussed a number of policies and tools aimed at significantly improving the level of care provided by nurses in the Region. The body continued the work towards completing the revision of the Caribbean Standards for Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice to ensure that these standards were harmonised throughout the Region and remained consistent with international…
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“Gang violence should be regarded as acts of terrorism and a threat to democracy in the Region” – PM Holness
“We must take a very strong approach to it from a legislative perspective to create the laws that will enable us to have surveillance to detain them – of course, within the accepted rules of human rights and the treatment of citizens – but certainly, there needs to be what we call in Jamaica enhanced measures to treat with this…
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