View source for Organization:Caribbean Public Health Agency

{{Short description|Regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name     = Caribbean Public Health Agency
|logo            =
|logo_width      =
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|seal            =
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|formed          = {{Start date and age|2013}}<ref name="caribjournal-2011">{{Cite web |url=https://www.caribjournal.com/2011/06/15/caricom-to-establish-regional-health-agency/ |title=CARICOM to Establish Health Agency |date=15 June 2011 |accessdate=5 April 2020 |work=Caribbean Journal}}</ref>
|preceding1      = The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)
|preceding2      = The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC)
|preceding3      = The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI)
|preceding4      = The Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC)
|preceding5      = The Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (CRDTL)
|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|jurisdiction    = [[Organization:Caribbean Community|CARICOM]]
|headquarters    = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago}}
|coordinates     = {{Coord|10|40|26|N|61|31|28|W|display=inline,title}}
|employees       =
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|minister1_name  =
|minister1_pfo   =
|minister2_name  =
|minister2_pfo   =
|chief1_name     = Dr. Cheryl Joy St. John
|chief1_position = Executive Director
|parent_agency   =
|website         = http://www.carpha.org/
}}

The '''Caribbean Public Health Agency''' (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago<ref name="caricom-2013">{{Cite web |url=https://caricom.org/remarks-by-ambassador-irwin-larocque-secretary-general-of-the-caribbean-community-caricom-at-the-launch-of-the-caribbean-public-health-agency-carpha/ |title=Remarks by Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, (CARICOM) At The Launch of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) |date=3 July 2013 |accessdate=5 April 2020 |work=CARICOM}}</ref> which was established by [[Organization:Caribbean Community|CARICOM]] leaders in July 2011<ref name="caribjournal-2011" /> and began operation in 2013.<ref name="caricom-2013" />

CARPHA combines the functions of five pre-existing regional health institutions:<ref name="kaieteurnew-2012">{{Cite web |url=https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2012/12/18/caribbean-public-health-agency-to-launch-operations-in-2013/ |title=Caribbean Public Health Agency to launch operations in 2013 |date=18 December 2012 |accessdate=5 April 2020 |work=Kaieteur News}}</ref> The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI), The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), The Caribbean Health Research Centre (CHRC), and The Caribbean Research and Drug Treatment Laboratory (CRDTL).

==History==
The CARPHA was established in 2013.

On 14 May 2014, the CARPHA acknowledged the gift by the Government of Canada of a Biosafety level 3 laboratory.<ref name="bsl3">{{cite news |title=BSL-3 lab funded by Canada initiative of The Global Partnership Program Press Release |url=https://www.germfree.com/news/bsl-3-lab-funded-by-canada-initiative-of-the-global-partnership-program-press-release/ |publisher=Germfree Laboratories, Inc |date=20 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="hsnbsl3">{{cite news |title=Canada donates Biosafety Level 3 modular laboratory to Caribbean health authorities |url=http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20140602-canada-donates-biosafety-level-3-modular-laboratory-to-caribbean-health-authorities |agency=News Wire Publications, LLC News Wire Publications, LLC |publisher=Homeland Security News Wire |date=2 June 2014}}</ref>

==Role==

CARPHA aims to address regional issues including:<ref name="carpha-about-2020">{{Cite web |title=About The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) |url=http://www.carpha.org/About |accessdate=5 April 2020 |work=CARPHA}}</ref>
* Responding to disasters like [[Physics:Tropical cyclone|hurricanes]], [[Earth:Earthquake|earthquake]]s, and [[Earth:Flood|flood]]ing.
* Monitoring and managing both [[Medicine:Infection|communicable diseases]] (e.g. HIV/AIDS and [[Medicine:Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]]) and non communicable diseases (e.g. obesity and [[Medicine:Diabetes|diabetes]]) that are prevalent in the region.
* Monitoring and preventing injuries, violence and illnesses in work places.
* Contributing to global health agreements and compliance with international health regulations.

===COVID-19===
During the COVID-19 pandemic CARPHA has been performing tests for 18 countries in the region but warned on 5 April 2020, that they were running short on reagents required for [[Medicine:Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] testing and expected to be able to continue testing for three weeks.<ref name="jamaicaobserver-5april">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/global-shortage-of-key-ingredient-could-affect-covid-19-testing-in-caribbean_191350 |title=Global shortage of key ingredient could affect COVID-19 testing in Caribbean |date=5 April 2020 |website=Jamaica Observer}}</ref>{{update inline|date=April 2021}}

On 9 April 2020, the [[Social:European Union|European Union]] announced a grant of {{Euro|8M}} ({{US$|8.6M}}), which will be implemented by the Caribbean Public Health Agency, for the fight against the coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2020/04/09/eu-provides-us8-6m-grant-for-cbean-to-combat-covid-19/|title=
EU provides US$8.6M grant for C’bean to combat COVID-19|website=Kaieteur News|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>{{update inline|date=April 2021}}

On 11 April 2020, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados who is the CARICOM Chair, called a special Heads of Government meeting to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and establish a common public health protocol, and border policy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/covid-19-special-caricom-heads-government-meeting-scheduled|title=COVID-19: Special CARICOM Heads of Government meeting scheduled|website=Loop News Barbados|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> The governments have agreed to the proposal in a virtual meeting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.srherald.com/suriname/2020/04/16/caricom-staatshoofden-stemmen-in-met-gezamenlijk-gezondheidsprotocol/|title=Caricom-staatshoofden stemmen in met gezamenlijk gezondheidsprotocol|website=Suriname Herald|access-date=17 April 2020|language=nl}}</ref>{{update inline|date=April 2021}}

== Membership ==

CARPHA has 26 full members throughout the Americas.<ref name="carpha-members-2020">{{cite web | title=Caribbean Public Health Agency Member States | website=The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) | url=https://www.carpha.org/Who-We-Are/Member-States | access-date=7 April 2021}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Country !! Joined  !! Population{{UN_Population|ref}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Anguilla}}[[Biology:Anguilla|Anguilla]]
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Anguilla}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Antigua and Barbuda}}Antigua and Barbuda
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Antigua and Barbuda}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Aruba}}Aruba
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Aruba}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Bahamas}}Bahamas
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Bahamas}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Barbados}}Barbados
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Barbados}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Belize}}Belize
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Belize}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Bermuda}}Bermuda
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Bermuda}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Caribbean Netherlands}}BES Islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba)
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba}}
|-
| {{flagicon|British Virgin Islands}}British Virgin Islands
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|British Virgin Islands}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Cayman Islands}}[[Finance:Cayman Islands|Cayman Islands]]
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Cayman Islands}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Curacao}}Curaçao
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Curaçao}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Dominica}}[[Earth:Dominica|Dominica]]
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Dominica}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Grenada}}Grenada
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Grenada}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Haiti}}Haiti
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Haiti}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Guyana}}Guyana
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Guyana}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Jamaica}}Jamaica
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Jamaica}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Montserrat}}Montserrat
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Montserrat}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}Saint Kitts and Nevis
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Saint Lucia}}Saint Lucia
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Saint Lucia}}
|-
| {{flagicon|St. Maarten}}Sint Maarten
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Sint Maarten (Dutch part)}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Suriname}}Suriname
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Suriname}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}}Trinidad and Tobago
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Trinidad and Tobago}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Turks and Caicos Islands}}Turks and Caicos Islands
| -
| align=right | {{UN_Population|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
|}

==See also==
* [[Organization:List of national public health agencies|List of national public health agencies]]
* [[Organization:Pan American Health Organization|PAHO]]
* [[Organization:World Health Organization|World Health Organization]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Bioterrorism}}

[[Category:Public health organizations]]

{{Sourceattribution|Caribbean Public Health Agency}}