CARPHA opens lab in Jamaica

The region’s capacity to track, test and respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been bolstered with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) establishing its new regional reference referral laboratory in Kingston.

Speaking at the recent official opening ceremony at CARPHA’s Hope Gardens location in St Andrew, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said that the facility will strengthen surveillance, improve clinical decision-making, and reduce the Caribbean’s dependence on overseas testing.

“The establishment of the lab will significantly strengthen our ability to identify resistant organisms more quickly, improve surveillance, guide appropriate treatment decisions, and provide valuable evidence supporting national policy and clinical practice,” he noted.

“It also reduces dependence on overseas referral testing, while improving access to high-quality laboratory services across the Caribbean,” he added.

Tufton said the facility complements the work of Jamaica’s National Public Health Laboratory, hospital laboratories, infection prevention and control teams, and clinicians and pharmacists, while supporting the country’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

He noted that Jamaica has already been strengthening surveillance systems, promoting responsible antibiotic prescribing, advancing antimicrobial stewardship, and increasing public awareness about the appropriate use of antibiotics. “We are not sitting down and doing nothing. What this does is add capacity, and it also allows us to do even more,” Tufton added.

The AMR Regional Reference Referral Laboratory will serve as a regional hub for advanced testing, surveillance and technical support, enhancing the Caribbean’s ability to detect and respond to drug-resistant infections, while supporting evidence-based public health decision-making across CARPHA member states.