The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is warning the region against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which it describes as a serious and growing global public health threat to health security, healthcare systems and sustainable development, often referred to as the silent pandemic.
‘Antimicrobial resistance threatens the health and development of every Caribbean nation. Through CARPHA’s Integrated AMR Programme and the work of CARA, we are building a stronger, more resilient region. But success requires collective responsibility, governments, healthcare providers, veterinarians, farmers, laboratories, and the public all have a role to play,’ said CARPHA executive director, Dr. Lisa Indar. In a message marking World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) that ends on November 24, CARPHA said AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites stop responding to medicines, making infections harder, and sometimes impossible to treat.
It said consistent with the WAAW 2025 theme, ‘Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future’, it is urging ‘responsible use of antimicrobials’ while highlighting the significant strides made through its Integrated AMR Programme.
CARPHA said the integrated programme supported by partners including the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Fleming Fund and the Pandemic Fund Project, has emerged as a model for regional collaboration.
The programme takes a comprehensive multi-facted regional approach, strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity and coordinated action across sectors to detect, understand, and respond to AMR in the Caribbean.
It said the launch of the Caribbean Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) is a joint initiative between CARPHA and the UKHSA, which serves as the technical and operational backbone of CARPHA’s AMR agenda.
‘CARA is leading the region in establishing AMR Reference laboratory capacity across CARPHA sites in Trinidad, Jamaica, and St. Lucia; developing the Regional AMR surveillance system, strengthening data collection, reporting, and interpretation across Member States; harmonising standards, sharing expertise and regional coordination, working with partners towards sustainable AMR preparedness.’
CARPHA said it has advanced plans to expand its Jamaica and St. Lucia laboratories as regional reference laboratories for AMR testing alongside the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory (CMML) in Port of Spain.
‘This significantly reduces delays, improves detection of priority pathogens, and enhances access to high-quality AMR diagnostics for member states,’ it said, adding that through joint efforts with UKHSA, it has received multiple technical experts on secondment, supporting improvements in surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency response, AMR data analytics, tourism and health, and One Health coordination.
CARPHA said in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UKHSA, they have jointly organised a series of regional capacity-building activities, including phenotypic testing, molecular testing, and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) workshops, along with a UKHSA AMR surveillance and epidemiology training delivered to CARPHA staff.
During WAAW, CARPHA said it is encouraging all stakeholders, governments, clinicians, pharmacists, veterinarians, laboratories, community leaders, and the public to champion responsible use of antimicrobials and support AMR prevention initiatives.