Castries, Saint Lucia. November 10, 2026. CARPHA has strengthened the capacity of public health professionals from four CARPHA Member States (CMS) to detect, investigate and respond to foodborne and zoonotic disease threats, via the One Health (OH) approach, through a five-day regional workshop focused on integrated surveillance, outbreak investigation and response, and harmonised laboratory methods.  

The Integrated Foodborne and Zoonotic Disease Surveillance and Laboratory Methods Harmonization

Workshop, held in Saint Lucia from 12–16 October 2026, brought together 20 representatives from Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to strengthen regional capacity for the surveillance, early detection, scientific investigation, laboratory diagnosis, reporting, and response to foodborne and zoonotic diseases using an OH approach. 

In her Opening Remarks, CARPHA’s Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Indar, underscored the importance of ensuring that stronger surveillance systems ultimately translate into better protection for Caribbean people and reiterated, “Together, let us ensure that we can collect and integrate health information from humans, animals and the environment to lead to earlier detection, coordinated action and better protection for the people who live in and visit our Caribbean region.”

The workshop formed part of CARPHA's ongoing efforts to strengthen regional capacity for surveillance, detection, laboratory diagnosis, reporting and response to foodborne and zoonotic diseases using an OH approach. The workshop engaged stakeholders from the human, animal and environmental health sectors, laboratory services and tourism, underscoring the importance of a coordinated, multisectoral approach to detecting and responding to health threats at the human–animal–environment interface. 

For Caribbean citizens, stronger surveillance and laboratory capacity can translate into earlier identification of public health threats and faster, better-coordinated responses. Signals such as an increase in gastrointestinal illness, an unusual animal health event, an unsafe food or water sample, or reports of illness at a hotel can each provide an early indication of a wider public health problem. Effective regional health protection therefore depends on these signals being recognised quickly, communicated to the appropriate authorities and acted upon across sectors.

The workshop strengthened CMS’ national outbreak investigation and response capacities, improved cross-sectoral coordination and information sharing across human, animal, and environmental sectors, and laboratory services, and supported the harmonization of laboratory methods for food and water testing across participating CMS. These country-level improvements can collectively contribute to a stronger regional surveillance and response system.  

CARPHA’s Integrated Foodborne and Zoonotic Disease Surveillance and Laboratory Methods Harmonization Workshop was supported via the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Subsidiary Agreement. 

For more information on the extensive work of CARPHA, including that of the Foodborne and Zoonotic Diseases, Environmental Health and Sustainable Development department and One Health, follow

CARPHA on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram or visit the website: www.carpha.org

Photo Captions:

Photo: Meeting participants and CARPHA Technical team.

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