What are CAREC'S Activities?
CAREC's activities are organized within two major Divisions: The Epidemiology Division and the Laboratory
Division, a Public Health Intelligence Research and Development Unit (PHI) and two
programme/s: the Special Programme on Sexually Transmitted Infections (SPSTI) and the
Expanded Programme on Immunization(EPI).
The Epidemiology Division is responsible for epidemiological work in the Caribbean in
infectious diseases including the sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and chronic
diseases as well as injury surveillance. The unit assists in assessing the health status
of the various populations. CAREC's epidemiologists, in cooperation with National
Ministries of Health, monitor and assess trends, identify causal relationships and assist
in developing public health responses.
The Laboratory Division provides a reference level of expertise in areas of
Bacteriology, Immunology, Medical Parasitology and Entomology as well as inVirology. In
Virology, the Division also provides diagnostic services for some CMC's which do not have
access to such facilities locally. One of the important objectives of the laboratory is
the assistance in upgrading national laboratories through training courses, the
introduction of new methods and the provision of quality assurance to CMC laboratories.
CAREC's laboratory also plays a major role in the fight against vector-borne diseases such
as dengue, there is an active research program on biological control of Aedes aegypti and
other vectors.
The Public Health Intelligence Research and Development Unit (PHI) provides technical
oversight to the Centre's Divisions and programme/s in the areas of Virology,
Microbiology, Entomology/Parasitology, Epidemiology and Bio-Statistics. This new Unit is
expected primarily, to identify the strategic disease prevention and control issues facing
the Caribbean, advise on opportunities and critical choices in public health practice and
policy, assist in setting the strategic direction and research agenda for CAREC and assist
in the mobilisation of resources to pursue that agenda.
The Administration Division provides administrative support for the core activities of
the Centre through the Finance and Materials Management, Human Resource, Maintenance,
Office Services and Library and Information Systems sections of the Division.
The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) assists countries in their efforts to
achieve universal child immunization, and CMC's are among the best in this area, having
eliminated measles (since 1991) and polio.
The Special Programme on Sexually Transmitted Infections (SPSTI). CAREC's effort on the
mitigation of Sexually Transmitted Infections contains as its major focus, the prevention
and control of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). CAREC has provided assistance to
all Member Countries in recent years, in the development of national short and medium term
plans, the provision of an AIDS Information and Education Centre, and in accepting
responsibility for Sub-Regional Plan with emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of
programme/s.
