The Caribbean Public Health Agency (Caribbean Public Health Agency) and Caribbean Airlines Limited (Caribbean Airlines Limited) have signed a new international cargo rate agreement aimed at improving the speed, affordability, and reliability of transporting public health laboratory specimens across the Caribbean, in a move officials say will significantly strengthen regional health security.
The agreement, signed on April 17, 2026, establishes standardised and preferential international cargo rates for the shipment of medical specimens between CARPHA Member States and the agency’s specialised laboratories. It is expected to reduce long-standing logistical and cost barriers that have hindered timely laboratory referrals across the region’s geographically dispersed 26 member countries.
Under the arrangement, specimens will be transported more efficiently to CARPHA’s referral laboratories in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica, where advanced diagnostic services—including antimicrobial resistance (AMR) testing, clinical analyses, and rapid PCR testing for human, animal, and environmental samples—are conducted. Initial transport costs under the system will be supported through CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund project.
Officials say the agreement addresses persistent disparities in shipping costs and delays that have historically affected surveillance systems and outbreak response capacity. By improving predictability in specimen movement, the initiative is expected to enhance early detection of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and support faster public health interventions.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar said the partnership represents a critical advancement in regional health preparedness.
“Strong laboratory referral systems are essential to regional health security,” Dr. Indar said. “This agreement with Caribbean Airlines supports faster, more reliable movement of specimens for specialised testing, helping our Member States to strengthen surveillance and respond more quickly to public health threats.”
She added that the initiative also advances equity in access to diagnostic services across the Caribbean.
Dr. Gabriel Gonzalez-Escobar, Head of the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory, highlighted the operational benefits, noting that reduced delays in sample transport will directly improve surveillance continuity.
“In public health, time matters,” he said. “When specimens can be shipped more efficiently and at predictable rates, national laboratories are better able to refer samples for specialised testing and maintain continuity of surveillance.”
From the aviation sector, Caribbean Airlines Head of Sales, Cargo Division, Brian Broomes, said the airline is committed to supporting regional health systems through secure and reliable logistics services.
“Caribbean Airlines is proud to partner with CARPHA on this important initiative,” he said. “By providing a structured, reliable and secure cargo solution, we are supporting the timely transfer of critical samples… which is essential for effective testing and surveillance.”
CARPHA continues to work with its member states to strengthen laboratory capacity, surveillance systems, and coordinated outbreak response mechanisms across the region, with its medical microbiology laboratory playing a central role in specialised testing and referral coordination.