(CARICOM)-The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have renewed their partnership to strengthen health in tourism, reinforcing the OECS as a safer, more resilient and sustainable destination.
The renewed Letter of Agreement (LoA), signed on July 9, 2026, commits both organisations to the continued implementation of CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP) across OECS Member States through December 2030.
Signed by the Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar, and the Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules, the Agreement represents the next phase of a partnership that has already delivered measurable results in strengthening public health systems, enhancing tourism resilience, and supporting sustainable economic development throughout the region.
Tourism is a key pillar of many OECS economies, contributing between 24 -74 %of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounting for almost half of total employment. As one of the world’s most tourism-dependent regions, safeguarding the health of residents and visitors is fundamental not only to public health, but also to economic resilience, investor confidence and destination competitiveness.
Delivering remarks at the LoA Signing Ceremony, Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules, emphasised that the Agreement builds on the OECS Commission’s longstanding collaboration with CARPHA across public health, health security and regional resilience. He stated:
“Our Sustainable Tourism Policy recognises that competitiveness, resilience and sustainability are
inseparable. A destination is only as attractive as it is safe. Health security, then, is not an add-on to tourism.
It is one of its foundational pillars. When we strengthen surveillance, raise health and safety standards, and build capacity across our Member States, we are not choosing between protecting our people and protecting our economy. We are doing both with a single instrument. But our collective resilience is only as strong as the weakest system we tolerate among us. Through this renewed Agreement, our aim is to ensure that no Member State is left behind, that implementation is coordinated, even, and sustainable across the whole of the OECS.”
CARPHA Executive Director, Dr Lisa Indar, highlighted the broader regional impact of the renewed
partnership. She stated:
“Through this agreement, CARPHA and the OECS Commission commit to a simple but powerful chain of real outcomes. Strengthened travellers’ health delivers healthier, safer tourism; healthier, safer tourism builds a more resilient, competitive and marketable OECS destination; and a resilient tourism sector secures the economic sustainability of the OECS sub-region. A strong tourism and health programme in the OECS also translates into a healthier, safer Caribbean, further advancing regional health security.”
States can achieve together what none can accomplish alone. The renewed partnership with CARPHA reflects that principle in practice by demonstrating how regional institutions can work together to protect public health, strengthen tourism resilience and support sustainable development.
Together, CARPHA and the OECS are ensuring that health remains a defining feature of the Caribbean tourism brand, protecting visitors, strengthening communities and supporting a more resilient and sustainable regional economy for years to come.
Learn more about CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP), please visit
https://carpha.org/THP/Background for more information.
