CARPHA/World Bank Convened 12th Regional Project Advisory Committee Meeting for Advancing Resilient Health Systems in the OECS

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in collaboration with the World Bank convened the 12th Meeting of the Regional Project Advisory Committee for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Regional Health Project, on June 16 to 18, 2025 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America.

This meeting is a strategic forum for stakeholder engagement on strengthening cross – border emergency planning, knowledge exchange and the advancement of initiatives that ensure resilient health systems in four Small Island Developing States within the Caribbean Region, specifically, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In attendance were senior officials from CARPHA, the World Bank, and the Ministries of Health from the aforementioned Member States.

The Executive Management Team of CARPHA, led by Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director, also held several high-level meetings with senior representatives from the World Bank including Dr. Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population and the Global Financing Facility, World Bank and Dr. Priya Basu, Executive Head, Pandemic Fund.

In delivering opening remarks at this session, Dr. Horace Cox, Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, CARPHA, stated that “throughout this journey, CARPHA’s coordinated efforts have not only strengthened operational capacity but have also enhanced the collective ability of the region to respond effectively to urgent public health needs”.

Dr. Indar noted that “the Caribbean Region, specifically the OECS, is uniquely characterised by under-resourced populations, highly interconnected, porous borders that are susceptible to climate change impact and infectious disease risks such as COVID-19. These highlight the unique vulnerabilities that threaten the Region”. As such, Dr. Indar noted the importance of bolstering the capacity of Member States in areas of preparedness, surveillance, data analysis, risk assessment, and improved human and resource readiness to strengthen regional health security and resilience.

Mr. Thulani Matsebula, Task Team Leader and Senior Health Economist, from the World Bank, highlighted the importance of the OECS Regional Health Project in “transforming the landscape among Member States by promoting integrated health systems, fostering innovation, and enhancing resilience to public health threats”.

He further added that these initiatives serve to reduce disparities in access to healthcare during times of crisis and guarantee that vulnerable groups are protected through strengthened support mechanisms and rapid response strategies.

Country representatives benefited from technical guidance from both CARPHA and the World Bank in monitoring and evaluation to support the alignment of activities being implemented with project targets. These sessions were jointly conducted by Mrs. Patricia Smith–Cummings, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, CARPHA and Dr. Edit Velényi, Co-Task Team Leader and Senior Health Economist, World Bank.

Dr. Velényi commended “the high level of coordination among the project partners” with the recognition that such synergy enhances data quality for improved timely outbreak detection, supports coherent policy implementation across Member States, and adherence to project timelines, milestones and risk management protocols.

At the conclusion of this meeting, representatives agreed to advance key actions that include the following:

This statutory Regional Project Advisory Committee meeting ensures that the project remains on schedule, resources are being utilized efficiently, and that collaboration among Member States support the achievement of key health outcomes.

Click here for more information about the OECS Regional Health Project – https://carpha.org/Projects/Ongoing-Projects/OECS-Regional-Health-Project