The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) officially opened its third One Health Multidisciplinary Workshop to Promote Integrated Surveillance for Foodborne Diseases and Zoonoses on 11 November 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad. The two-day workshop, being held from 11 to 12 November 2026, brings together 100 participants, including representatives from 14 CARPHA Member States (CMS) and 14 regional and international partner agencies, to advance the implementation of integrated surveillance systems for foodborne diseases and zoonoses across the Caribbean.
Building on the achievements of the 2024 and 2025 workshops, this year’s meeting focuses on the practical implementation and long-term sustainability of integrated One Health surveillance systems, with particular emphasis on strengthening surveillance data integration, information sharing and multisectoral capacities to detect, investigate and respond to foodborne and zoonotic disease threats. The workshop is supported through CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund Project, which aims to strengthen regional and national capacities for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
A central focus of this year’s workshop is the demonstration of CARPHA’s digital Regional Integrated Early Warning and Surveillance System (RIEWSS), particularly its Foodborne Diseases and Zoonoses (One Health) Surveillance Module. The module integrates human, animal, laboratory and environmental health surveillance data to support earlier detection of unusual disease patterns, improved event verification, information sharing and coordinated public health responses.
Foodborne diseases (FBDs) and zoonoses, diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, remain significant public health concerns in the Caribbean. As a region comprising predominantly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Caribbean faces unique vulnerabilities due to its porous borders, high population mobility, frequent mass gatherings and heavy reliance on tourism, agriculture and international trade. These factors increase the risk of disease introduction and cross-border spread, with implications for public health and economic stability.
Regional estimates indicate that approximately one in 49 Caribbean residents experiences foodborne illness annually, increasing to approximately one in 11 during mass gatherings. Underreporting and fragmented surveillance across sectors limit understanding of the full burden of these diseases. Because foodborne and zoonotic threats arise at the interface of people, animals, food and the environment, no single sector can adequately address them alone. An integrated One Health approach is therefore essential to connect surveillance findings, identify sources of infection and guide coordinated prevention and response.
The opening ceremony featured welcome remarks by Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, who outlined the workshop’s objectives and reaffirmed CARPHA’s commitment to strengthening regional health security through integrated surveillance and multisectoral collaboration.
“One Health is not a slogan, it is a way of working- integrating human, animal and environmental health information and expertise to trace diseases to their sources, identify contributing factors and guide coordinated action,” Dr. Indar emphasised.
The workshop brings together national epidemiologists, laboratory directors, chief environmental health officers and chief veterinary officers from 14 CARPHA Member States, alongside representatives from 14 regional and international partner agencies, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), St. George’s University (SGU), The University of the West Indies (UWI), United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, One Health Molecular Epidemiology and Genomics (EDGe) Centre, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), including its Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA).
Ms. Dominique Afoon, Senior Associate, Health, Nutrition and Population Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), delivered greetings on behalf of the IDB, the Implementing Entity for the CARPHA Pandemic Fund Project.
“For the IDB, our partnership with CARPHA has always been much more than financing individual activities. For over two decades, we’ve worked together to strengthen public health systems and support innovative approaches to health challenges,” Ms. Afoon highlighted.
Delivering the keynote address, the Honourable Dr. Lackram Bodoe, Minister of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, commended CARPHA’s regional leadership and highlighted the importance of strengthening public health surveillance, preparedness and multisectoral coordination to address emerging health threats.
“For Caribbean countries, where resources may be limited and health threats can quickly cross borders, this level of cooperation is essential. I commend CARPHA and its partners for organising this workshop and for their continued efforts to strengthen health security throughout the Caribbean,” Dr. Bodoe affirmed.
The first day of the workshop featured technical presentations and demonstrations of RIEWSS, including its One Health Surveillance Module. A regional panel discussion explored opportunities for strengthened collaboration, while interactive working sessions focused on national One Health implementation progress, integrated surveillance and practical priorities for strengthening national systems.
On the second day, participants will review regional progress and the availability of surveillance data, followed by hands-on working sessions to map and enter existing national surveillance data into RIEWSS. An after-action review of regional One Health threats will also identify lessons learned and opportunities to strengthen preparedness and coordination.
The workshop aims to strengthen national and regional capacities to detect emerging threats, improve information sharing and coordinate public health responses. CARPHA will continue working with its Member States and regional and international partners to support the long-term sustainability of integrated One Health surveillance initiatives.
At the end of the workshop, the major expected outcomes include agreed priorities for integrated foodborne disease and zoonoses surveillance, updated national implementation roadmaps and an expanded list of priority pathogens and hazards. Participants are also expected to produce a mapping of regional laboratory testing capacities and referral gaps, improve the mapping and availability of multisectoral surveillance data for RIEWSS and update the Agency Collaboration Framework to identify partner contributions and support sustained implementation.