CARPHA formalises strategic partnership with and Georgetown University

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (CGHPI), have announced a new bi-directional collaboration to strengthen health systems research, innovation and public health capacity across the Caribbean. The collaboration establishes a framework for joint action in health systems and implementation science research tailored to the unique contexts and needs of CARPHA Member States, a release from the regional health agency states.

The agreement also promotes knowledge exchange and collaboration between academia and public health practice, including health and non-health stakeholders.

Key opportunities from the agreement include:

● Enhanced reach and efficiency: Strengthening workforce development through coordinated resource sharing, tailored training, mentorship and technical assistance. This will build competencies in epidemiology, data use, clinical care, evaluation, research and evidence-to-policy translation.

● Innovation for effectiveness: Advancing integrated care models that address both communicable and non-communicable diseases to improve primary care delivery and chronic disease management.

● Shared learning: Leveraging expertise and experiences to design, test and scale evidence-based interventions that support sustainable, context-appropriate solutions.

Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr. Lisa Indar shared, “This MoU brings distinct benefits to the Agency and its Member States, specifically in the areas of surveillance, emergency response and workforce development, while simultaneously bringing the asset of the strong academic and analytical capabilities of Georgetown University in applied global health practice, education, and research”.

Director of CGHPI Dr. Deus Bairam, said the collaboration represents a transformative moment in Caribbean public health.

“This collaboration marks a new chapter in doing global health work differently – one that is genuinely bi-directional, rooted in Caribbean priorities, and built on the principle that the most powerful health innovations emerge when institutions combine their strengths in service of shared goals.”

CARPHA and CGHPI will work together on impact assessments, developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of health interventions and inform future strategies, the Agency’s release states.

Director of the Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division at CARPHA, Dr. Horace Cox stated: “This partnership embodies a commitment to advancing evidence-based public health approaches, by bridging operational gaps between academia and public health practice, for the benefit of all CARPHA Member States”.

The agreement also supports innovations in health care delivery, including co-development of new care models and technology integration such as telemedicine and mobile health applications. It encourages public-private partnerships to maximize resources and expertise.

CARPHA’s said this agreement mandate to provide strategic leadership and technical excellence in public health across the Caribbean and Georgetown University’s commitment to advancing global health through research, education, and implementation science.