The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and St George’s University (SGU) have formalised a transformative landmark 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in strengthening public health systems across the Caribbean through research, training, and evidence-informed policy development.
This agreement, signed on 21 April 2026, established a strategic partnership aimed at advancing joint regional research and public health innovations for strengthening regional capacity to address priority health challenges, including communicable, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and environmental issues.
Key areas of collaboration from the MOU include:
- Joint public health research and evidence generation
- Student training, practicum, and workforce development
- Capacity building in epidemiology, public health, and analytics
- Digital innovation and support for health systems strengthening
- Data analysis and knowledge sharing of work of approved information and datasets
- One Health collaboration including laboratory, and technical collaboration
- Collaboration on joint execution of 71st Annual Health Research Conference
Speaking during the signing ceremony on the agreement’s collaborative benefits, Dr Lisa Indar, Executive Director, CARPHA shared, “This MoU concretises the well-established, long-standing relationship with CARPHA and SGU. It will also position CARPHA and SGU as key regional leaders in public health research and practice across the Caribbean and support the translation of research findings into evidence-informed policy recommendations for our Member States. This also exemplifies CARPHA’s innovations in partnerships to collectively address public health in the region.
Speaking on behalf of SGU, Professor Marios Loukas, President and Dean of the School of Medicine, stated: “This partnership between SGU and CARPHA marks a defining moment for public health in the Caribbean. By aligning SGU’s academic and research strength with CARPHA’s regional leadership, we are building an integrated platform to drive innovation, expand research capacity, and accelerate the translation of evidence into policy and practice. This collaboration strengthens a more resilient, equitable, and healthier Caribbean, positioning the region as a global leader in public health innovation.”
Over the years, SGU students have been hosted as interns, contributing to CARPHA’s regional initiatives while gaining valuable practical experience. SGU faculty have collaborated with CARPHA in collaborative research and representation in regional stakeholder networks. This strong relationship was further demonstrated in 2015 when CARPHA’s Annual Health Research Conference was hosted on the SGU campus, underscoring SGU’s support for advancing regional health research.
