CARPHA strengthens regional vector-borne Disease Early Warning Systems
THE CARIBBEAN PUBLIC Health Agency (CARPHA) earlier this month concluded a three-day Regional multi-sectoral workshop on ‘Strengthening Integrated Vector Management (IVM), Insecticide Resistance Testing (IRT) and Geographic Information System (GIS). This workshop, funded by the Pandemic Fund, explored new methods and technologies in vector control, and leveraged the Caribbean Vector-borne Disease Network (CariVecNet) to improve early warning systems for vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in support of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR), a CARPHA release states.
Hosted in Port of Spain from December 9-11, 2025, the workshop brought together 24 participants from 12 CARPHA Member States, these being Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago – alongside CARPHA experts and regional collaborators. Participants from health, environment and related sectors in vector control focused on strengthening national and regional capacity to detect, prevent and respond to threats such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria, which continue to pose serious risks to Caribbean communities, health systems and economies.
Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar, highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and strong technical networks in protecting Caribbean people from vector-borne diseases.
“Strengthening vector control, insecticide resistance monitoring and early warning systems is central to reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean. Through the Pandemic Fund Project, CARPHA is building tools and skills that allow our Member States to see risk earlier and act faster. CariVec-Net is a vital platform for bringing our entomologists, environmental health officers and epidemiologists together, so that local data can trigger timely, coordinated responses that protect the health of our people and visitors,” said Dr Indar.
Over the three days, multi-sectoral country teams learned how to plan and manage integrated vector control programmes, test and track insecticide resistance in mosquito populations, and utilise mapping tools to show where mosquitoes are breeding, where cases are occurring, and which communities are most at risk, so that response teams can act earlier and more precisely.
They also discussed new tools and technologies for vector control, and how to introduce them safely and effectively into national programmes. The workshop further explored how CariVecNet can support sharing of information, expertise and practical solutions across borders, and how data from Member States can feed into CARPHA’s developing regional Early Warning System for vector-borne diseases.
Recently appointed Head of the Vector Borne Disease Programme at CARPHA, Dr Roshan Parasram, reflected on his return to regional vector control public health programmes and the urgent need to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
“Vector control has been an area in which I have thoroughly enjoyed working, and it is indeed a pleasure to return to it at this juncture in my career, especially at the regional level,” said Dr Parasram.
“As Small Island Developing States on the frontline of climate change, we are seeing more frequent and severe weather events, expanding vector habitats and increasing movement of people and vectors. We must become more adaptable to these shifts, build models that can predict events before they occur, and use those systems to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with vector-borne diseases.”
Technical Adviser for the CARPHA Pandemic Fund Project, Dr Brian Armour, linked the workshop to CARPHA’s wider efforts to modernise surveillance and early warning systems in the Caribbean.
“Through the Pandemic Fund grant, CARPHA has been able to advance the design of an integrated early warning system that brings together key surveillance information from laboratories, environmental health, tourism and community reports on a single platform,” he explained.
At the end of the workshop, country teams outlined priority actions to strengthen their national vector surveillance and control programmes. These included improving insecticide resistance monitoring, expanding the use of mapping for risk assessment, refining protocols for sharing data with CARPHA and CariVec-Net, and integrating vector-borne disease indicators into national early warning platforms. These commitments will feed into CARPHA’s broader regional PPR framework and ongoing technical assistance to Member States under the Pandemic Fund Project.
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