Health Sector Development

Thirty-Three Programme Planners and Health Care Service Providers Graduate from Clinical Management of HIV Programme

“The impact of and challenges posed by COVID-19 and its variants made CARPHA realise how much ground we had to cover for this particular ever growing COVID-19 family – with the highly infectious BE.1 and BF.1 being the latest sub variants of Omicron that we have just sequenced in the Region. The lessons we have learnt from this massive fight against COVID-19 have stood us in good stead for the new disease monkeypox that has followed all too quickly to the Caribbean shores.” These were the words of Dr. Joy St.

Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met on Wednesday 13 July to review updates on regional health system strengthening even as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.

The 30th Meeting of Chief Medical Officers was convened virtually and saw them discussing inter alia, the CARPHA-led response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the current state of inoculation for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Introduction

CARPHA. (2021). The Caribbean Cooperation in Health-IV report 2021: Regional public goods for sustainable Health Development.
Port of Spain: Caribbean Public Health Agency.

The report was led and coordinated by Ms. Patricia Smith-Cummings, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, CARPHA under the supervision of Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director, CARPHA. Lead agencies that contributed to the writing of the report are the CARICOM Secretariat (CCS), Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). CARPHA is grateful to all the Technical Officers from all the agencies that wrote, reviewed and supported the agency specific 2021 updates.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from its inception in 1973 recognised the importance of adequate statistical services in achieving its goals and aspirations.  Within the framework of the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community and in accordance with Resolution   
No. 54/74/4 of the Fourth Meeting of the Common Market Council of Ministers under the general supervision of Council, CARICOM established the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) in 1974, one year after the establishment of CARICOM.  The objectives of

The CRSF provides essential guidelines that build on the already illustrious achievements of a Partnership deemed by UNAIDS to be an international best practice. Most appropriate is its vision of a Caribbean free of AIDS and new HIV infections, in which all people are happier, healthier, productive, safe and respected, complemented by a mission to stimulate the critical role of country programmes that empower Caribbean people to fulfil their potential and live happy, healthy, peaceful lives.

The PANCAP Social Contracting Toolkit is a reference document designed to be used by Governments and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in CARICOM member countries in the roll out of social contracting mechanisms as a sustainable approach to service delivery for HIV services. 

Examples of existing partnerships between governments and CSOs or the private sector are referenced as part of understanding the national landscape of financing options at the country level.