Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 17 February, 2025. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) today launched a five-day, in-person training workshop under the Caribbean Regional Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (CR-FELTP) – Level II, aimed at strengthening public health response capacity across the region.

Taking place from February 17-21, 2025, at the Kapok Hotel, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, the workshop is funded by the Pandemic Fund, with CARPHA as the Executing Agency and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as the Implementing Entity. This initiative is a critical part of CARPHA’s ongoing efforts to build regional resilience against public health threats through workforce development.

This year’s FELTP Level II cohort includes eleven (11) trainees from five CARPHA Member States—Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos Islands—representing key public health sectors, including epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory science, and environmental health. Participants will gain advanced training in disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and epidemiological data analysis using specialized tools like Epi Info (a statistical software suite designed for epidemiological data analysis and disease surveillance, developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC).

Building a Skilled Public Health Workforce

Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, welcomed participants and underscored the importance of the training: ““Strengthening the public health workforce is one of the most crucial investments we can make to safeguard the Caribbean against emerging and re-emerging health threats. This training equips our Member States with highly skilled professionals who can detect, analyse, and respond rapidly to public health emergencies. CARPHA has long been committed to building a sustainable epidemiology workforce, and the support from the Pandemic Fund further enables us to expand and enhance these efforts across the region.”

The workshop follows a One Health approach, incorporating human, animal, and environmental health perspectives to improve multi-sectoral collaboration in disease surveillance and public health response.

Dr. Laura Lee-Boodram, Head of the CR-FELTP at CARPHA, highlighted the long-term impact of this initiative: “The CR-FELTP has been a cornerstone of workforce development in the region, producing skilled epidemiologists who play critical roles in disease detection and response. This training will further strengthen national and regional outbreak preparedness, ensuring that the Caribbean remains proactive and resilient in the face of health crises.”

Enhancing Regional Health Security

The CR-FELTP training aligns with the broader Pandemic Fund objectives of reducing the public health impact of pandemics through prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR). By expanding the cadre of trained public health professionals, CARPHA will continue to bolster the region’s ability to respond swiftly to outbreaks and mitigate public health risks before they escalate.

Over the next five days, trainees will engage in interactive sessions, data analysis exercises, and scenario- based learning to refine their ability to interpret surveillance data and make evidence-based public health decisions.