Bridgetown, Barbados, 18 March, 2025. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has strengthened Barbados’ capacity to safeguard public health for both local and visitor populations especially during mass gathering events, including CARPHA’s upcoming Annual Health Research Conference (AHRC) to be held in May 2025 and the Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum (SEforALL) held from 12-13 March 2025.
During a mission from March 10–13, CARPHA provided focused support in the areas of mass gathering disease surveillance and advanced food safety training, strengthened partnerships and awarded CARPHA’s Healthier, Safer Tourism (HST) award to tourism facilities, as outlined below.
Implemented a Novel Mass Gathering Surveillance Module (MGSM): CARPHA collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH), Barbados, and 16 event-affiliated accommodations to set up and use the MGSM during Barbados’ Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum (SEforALL) mass gathering event that drew over 1,100 participants from 70 countries. This cutting-edge system allows for real-time data collection and immediate alerts of public health threats to national health authorities, enabling swift detection and response. Data-entry tablets donated by CARPHA in 2024 during the T20 Cricket World Cup were used to support real-time data entry and analysis. In preparation for the influx of visitors for the upcoming AHRC, CARPHA facilitated a two-and-a-half day ServSafe® Train-the-Trainer Advanced Food Safety and Certification course. The training targeted accommodations and food and beverage facilities slated to host AHRC delegates and was facilitated by Mr. Keston Daniel, Visitor-Based Surveillance Coordinator, Dr. Sastee Kissoondan, Technical Officer and Ms. Frieda Mohammed, Training and Standards Officer. Thirty-two (32) persons were trained and took the examinations. Successful participants will earn internationally recognised certification in Advanced Food Safety that is valid for 5 years.
Recognised Healthier, Safer Tourism Awardees: On March 12, six (6) tourism facilities were presented with the Healthier, Safer Tourism (HST) Award during an award handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health. The HST Award is an accolade granted by CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP) to establishments that demonstrate rigorous training, surveillance, and safety protocols. By meeting these standards, HST Award recipients actively reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission, protect both visitors and locals, and uphold the region’s reputation as a premier, health-focused travel destination. The awards were presented by the country’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George, who was very pleased with this achievement. Speaking at the award handover ceremony, Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, commended Barbados for its commitment to health security. “Key outputs in Barbados include 489 persons trained in Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, 64 Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System alerts issued, 160 persons trained in Food and Environmental Safety, 57 persons certified in Advanced Food Safety Training, and six hotels receiving the HST Award. These efforts underscore Barbados’ commitment to ensuring its tourism product remains both competitive and safe for visitors and locals alike”,” Dr. Indar said.
Additionally, Dr. Indar and Dr. Mark Sami, Director of Corporate Services, held high-level meetings with the Permanent Secretaries, the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Executive Officers and officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, CARICOM’s Regional Security System (RSS), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). These engagements aimed to strengthen partnerships and streamline collaboration for health security, particularly for upcoming mass gatherings such as CARPHA’s Annual Health Research Conference.
This mission was made possible through CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund Project, “Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (RG-T4387),” and funding from the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund Regional Health Security Programme.
About CARPHA-THP
CARPHA’s THP is a novel multifaceted programme, that pioneers work for improving sustainable Caribbean tourism and health security, whilst engaging and collaborating with CARPHA Member States. The THP adopts a multisectoral approach for improving the resilience of the tourism industry and by extension, the health sector of each participating country through surveillance, response, guidelines, capacity building, standards, policy, advocacy and partnerships, and a travellers’ health award and app. The THP strengthens regional and national health systems and enhances the health of visitor and resident populations by seeking to address the health, safety, and environmental sanitation threats to tourism. The programme has built capacity and equipped countries with regional tools that supports preparedness and response to public health threats. https://carpha.org/THP/Background
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