CARPHA Partners, CHTA to host regional training on infectious disease prevention, control

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. October 9, 2025. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in
collaboration with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), hosted an important regional virtual
training on the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the hospitality sector on Monday 29th
September 2025.

The training brought together eighty-two (82) participants from the hospitality sector with
approximately seventy (70) entities representing resorts, hotels, restaurants and tour operators across the
region and highlighted the health and tourism partnership for safeguarding health of visitors and locals in
the Caribbean region.

The training aimed to build capacity in early detection and response to public health issues in the hospitality
sector to protect both visitor and local populations, while safeguarding the reputation and sustainability of
the Region’s most crucial sector. The training was facilitated by Mr. Keston Daniel, Visitor-Based Surveillance
Coordinator and Ms. Frieda Mohammed, Training and Standards Officer of CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and
Health Program (THP) with support from Dr. Sastee Kissoondan, Senior Technical Officer – Planning and
Coordination, Office of the Executive Director, CARPHA.

In her opening remarks, CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar, emphasised the importance of continued
vigilance in public health preparedness, sharing that, “Complacency comes at a high cost. A lack of
preparation and prevention can quickly erode public trust, and with it, the economic stability of one of our
Region’s most vital industries”. She also highlighted the importance of the training, not just as a requirement
for the Healthier, Safer Tourism (HST) award, but also as a strong proactive measure against the spread of
infectious diseases in the hospitality industry.

Mr. Frank Comito, Senior Advisor to the CHTA, underscored the strength of the CARPHA–CHTA partnership,
highlighting “This training is a continuation of our shared mission. It reflects our collective understanding that
the health and safety of our guests and staff must remain a top priority, not just during pandemics, but in
preparation for any public health threat that may arise. It is also noteworthy that this training is an essential
component for attaining CARPHA’s prestigious HST Award, which many entities across the Caribbean have
already achieved and maintained.”

This award recognises and rewards tourism entities that uphold the highest health and safety standards and
follow CARPHA’s proactive measures for healthier, safer tourism.

To date, through the THP, CARPHA and its partners have:
• Trained approximately 10,000 persons in 25 Caribbean Member States on Infectious Disease
Prevention and Control in the Hospitality Sector.• Awarded 165 facilities in 15 CMS with the HST Award.
• Registered 1,025 tourism entities on the Tourism and Health Information System (THiS).

CARPHA and CHTA’s partnership dates back to 2014, when the first Memorandum of Understanding with the
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) launched the THP. This collaboration has deepened in times of crisis,
particularly at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when both organisations worked closely to deliver critical
training and guidance to support safe reopening of hospitality businesses. The MoU was renewed in April
2023 at the Regional THP Stakeholders and Steering Committee Meeting.

About CARPHA
CARPHA, CARICOM’s health lead, established and mandated by CARICOM Heads of Government, as the
regional coordinating entity for public health, serves a crucial role in protecting and promoting public health
in the Caribbean region. As the Caribbean’s response to public health, CARPHA continues to efficaciously
provide a wide array of essential public health services and response to health emergencies through
Caribbean-tailored interventions, based on the unique context of the tourism-dependent, small island
developing states of the Caribbean, with porous, highly interconnected borders, varying surveillance,
laboratory and workforce capacities and high vulnerability to disasters and the impact of climate change;
that necessities CARPHA’s Caribbean-tailored interventions and a well-coordinated approach with agencies
and partners to best serve the Region (https://carpha.org/Who-We-Are/About).

About CARPHA-THP
CARPHA’s THP is a multifaceted programme, that pioneer work for improving sustainable Caribbean tourism
and health security. The THP adopts a multisectoral approach for improving the resilience of the tourism
industry and by extension, the health sector of each participating country through surveillance, response,
guidelines, capacity building, standards, policy, advocacy and partnerships, and a travellers’ health award
and app.

The THP strengthens regional and national health systems and enhances the health of visitor and
resident populations by seeking to address the health, safety, and environmental sanitation threats to
tourism. The programme has built capacity and equipped countries with regional tools that supports
preparedness and response to public health threats (https://carpha.org/THP/Background).

About CHTA
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) represents the private sector of the Caribbean
hospitality and tourism industry, working to make the region the most desirable, year-round, warm-weather
destination in the world (https://caribbeanhotelandtourism.com/about-us/).