Bridgetown, Barbados. May 7, 2025. Communication and health promotion specialists from 25 Caribbean nations have enhanced their capacity to further develop risk communication strategies by using the “One Health” approach, which links human health to the health of animals and ecosystems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that approximately 60% of infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic in origin, in other words, they are spread from animals. Some familiar zoonotic diseases are severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H5N1, Ebola, salmonella and COVID-19. The WHO reported that zoonotic diseases are responsible for an estimated 2.5 billion cases of illness and 2.7 million deaths worldwide each year.
During her opening remarks at the start of the 2-day workshop in Barbados, Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director, CARPHA shared that “The One Health approach has been the cornerstone of CARPHA’s work alongside our regional and international partners. With this strategic approach we have seen tangible successes; improved diagnostic capacities, policy advancement, training initiatives and more resilient community-based interventions”. Dr. Indar also added, “Our aim is to walk away with actionable strategies and concrete plans that strengthen collaboration, refining communication approaches and emergency preparedness across our Member States”.
Delivering the welcome remarks, Dr. Mark Sami noted, “Over the last few years under the Regional Health Security Grant, the European Union has funded the strengthening of risk communication in our CARPHA member states. This RHCN workshop focuses on emergency preparedness, through strengthening communications and One Health partnerships and would not be possible without the support of the European Union”.
Dr. Florian Luetticken, Team Leader for Governance, Security and Human Development, European Union, remarked, “We wish to congratulate CARPHA for driving forward this cooperation here in the Caribbean and would like to see more collaboration between the Caribbean and the European Union (EU)”. Dr Luetticken also encouraged participants to think outside of the box and be creative in what can be done together as partners with the European Union.
Sharing her key takeaways from the workshop, Public Health Nurse Mayara Wijsman from the Sint Eustatius remarked, “We have to work together with One Health, collaboration is important. I also plan to engage with my community prior to writing policies.” Another participant, Dr. Jeanty Fils Exalus from Haiti shared that he learned new strategies in engaging with his stakeholders through social media, “In Haiti we have a major problem of misinformation spread, this is an area we really have to tackle. These strategies will assist in combating misinformation but also reach them in terms of responding to health issues”.
The Regional Health Communication Network (RHCN) annual capacity building workshop was held from May 4-5, 2025 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) in Bridgetown, Barbados, with other pre-conference meetings ahead of the 69th CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference. The RHCN was established by CARPHA in January 2015 and this capacity building workshop was supported by the 11th European Development Fund. The Network comprises Communications and Health Promotion Specialists from each CARPHA Member State, who work together to ensure a more effective distribution of public health information throughout the Region.
