CARPHA (Caribbean Public Health Agency) – a new regional health organization – has been created by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) with support from the PAHO/WHO and international partners including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. CARPHA merges the operations of five regional health institutions: the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), the Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC), Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI), and the Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (CRDTL). Based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, CARPHA is scheduled to become operational in January 2013. CARPHA will serve as the lead agency for coordinating pan-Caribbean action in areas including disease surveillance, development of human resources for health, emergency preparedness and response, health promotion and communication, and policy development. It will house a regional laboratory and will coordinate a network of laboratories in other Caribbean countries as well.

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