PAHO and CARPHA sign agreement to strengthen regional health collaboration
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Dr Jarbas Barbosa (right), PAHO Director, signs the Framework Agreement as Dr Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, PAHO assistant director witnesses, on February 13, 2026.
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Dr Lisa Indar, CARPHA Executive Director, signs the Framework Agreement as Dr Horace Cox, director, watches, on February 13, 2026.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) have signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening regional public health collaboration.
The 2026-2030 agreement was formalised Friday during a virtual ceremony on in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, reinforcing what both agencies described as a long-standing and trusted partnership.
CARPHA, the lead regional public health agency for the Caribbean, said the framework establishes an operational structure to support a unified regional vision for health at a time when Caribbean countries face increasingly complex health challenges amid limited resources.
The agreement is expected position both agencies to deliver results under the PAHO–CARICOM Joint Subregional Cooperation Strategy, with a focus on strengthening health systems, improving preparedness, and advancing population health outcomes.
“This agreement enables PAHO and CARPHA to jointly develop regional strategies and plans of action, implement health programmes aligned with our Strategic Plans and Programme Budgets, and provide technical cooperation that is responsive to country needs," said PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa said. "It also establishes a clear framework for subsidiary agreements, ensuring transparency, accountability, and results-based implementation”.
CARPHA Executive Director Dr Lisa Indar said Caribbean countries expect limited technical cooperation resources to be used efficiently.
“Caribbean countries rightly expect that the limited resources available for technical cooperation are used efficiently, effectively, and strategically to achieve the greatest possible impact for our Caribbean citizens,” she said. “This can only be achieved through stronger collaboration, streamlined implementation, reduced duplication and a lighter operational burden on our Member States”.
PAHO serves as the regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.
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