The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) recently held a hybrid meeting of the Caribbean Public Health Laboratory Network (CariPHLN), at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, a CARPHA release stated on Thursday.
The meeting which took place from 12 to 13 August was jointly funded by the Republic of Korea through the Republic of Korea-CARICOM Cooperation Fund, and the European Union (EU), brought together national laboratory directors and managers, and other laboratory personnel from fifteen CARPHA Member States.
According to the release, it aimed to review laboratory portfolios of CARPHA Member States (CMS) to evaluate in-country capacities, needs and gaps; discuss the development of regional laboratory hubs and a framework for integrating advanced diagnostic technologies and methodologies for reference testing.
Acting Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at CARPHA, Dr Horace Cox, welcomed participants. “This meeting is critical in our ongoing efforts to strengthen laboratory networks across the Region. By bringing together laboratory professionals from CARPHA Member States we are not only addressing current challenges but also laying the foundation for a more resilient and responsive public health infrastructure.”
A significant outcome of the meeting was the establishment of Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) focusing on the following on key areas: Antimicrobial Resistance Testing, Sample Transportation, Food and Environment, as well as Genomic Expansion and Surveillance.
Laboratory Manager and Officer-in-Charge of Laboratory Services and Networks at CARPHA, Dr SueMin Nathaniel, stated that this was a critical step towards achieving greater collaboration, efficiency, and impact in laboratory services. “The formation of the TAGs represents a commitment to providing expert guidance, supporting informed policymaking, promoting innovation and quality assurance, building capacity, engaging stakeholders, enhance crisis response, and ensure transparency and accountability.”
Other key outcomes of the meeting included the revision of the CariPHLN organisational chart, updates on improved CMS laboratory capacities and the identification of key CMS to serve as laboratory hubs to assist in regional testing.
The Caribbean Public Health Laboratory Network (CariPHLN) is a specialised network established in 2015 which seeks to enable the collaboration among Diagnostic, Environmental, Public Health, Research and Veterinary Laboratories across the Caribbean Member State (CMS) laboratory community to positively improve the lives of nationals and visitors alike in the Caribbean Community, the release explained.
