Georgetown, Guyana. 23 April, 2026. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have officially signed an extension of their strategic partnership under the Caribbean Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) Project for the 2026/2027 period, supported by £1.1 million in funding from the United Kingdom Government.
The renewed agreement reaffirms the commitment of both institutions to strengthen the Caribbean’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through a coordinated One Health and integrated regional approach. The CARA Project has become a flagship collaboration supporting sustainable AMR surveillance systems, laboratory strengthening, workforce development, and regional coordination across CARPHA Member States.
Since its inception, the partnership has delivered significant achievements that have transformed CARPHA’s regional AMR programme. These include the establishment and expansion of AMR laboratory capacity across CARPHA’s network, including enhanced diagnostic and surveillance capability in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica. New laboratory platforms and equipment have been procured, installed, and operationalised, increasing CARPHA’s ability to process clinical, veterinary and environmental samples across the Region.
The Programme has also supported the launch of Saint Lucia as a regional AMR hub, while strengthening Jamaica’s role within the CARPHA laboratory network. These hubs are improving access to timely testing services, reducing sample transport delays and decentralising critical AMR detection capacity for Member States.
Capacity building has remained central to the partnership, with multiple regional trainings delivered in areas such as whole genome sequencing, laboratory methods, epidemiology, biosafety and AMR data analysis. CARPHA, UKHSA and regional partners, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have jointly trained laboratory scientists, epidemiologists and public health officers to build a skilled workforce capable of sustaining AMR programmes nationally and regionally.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Lisa Indar – CARPHA Executive Director stated, “The extension reflects the success of a truly collaborative model for regional health security. The continued investment will enable CARPHA to deepen its support to Member States, expand integrated surveillance, strengthen laboratory referral systems and generate evidence to guide national and regional AMR action plans”.
Under the 2026/2027 extension, CARPHA and UKHSA will prioritise:
- Expansion of integrated AMR surveillance across CARPHA Member States
- Further strengthening of regional laboratory hubs in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Saint Lucia
- Strengthening sample referral and diagnostic access across the Caribbean
- Advancing regional coordination for AMR prevention and control
This renewed partnership demonstrates the shared commitment of CARPHA and UKHSA to protecting the health of Caribbean populations and building resilient systems capable of addressing current and future infectious disease threats.
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