Digital health security milestone delivered under the World Bank–financed OECS Regional Health Project in partnership with CARPHA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has become the first Member State in the Region to adopt the Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance System (RIEWSS), a milestone for health security across the OECS. The achievement follows an intensive technical mission conducted from June 22–30, 2026 by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), financed under the World Bank-supported OECS Regional Health Project.
For the OECS, the milestone is a tangible demonstration of what regional cooperation delivers: pooled investment in health security, shared digital infrastructure, and the creation of stronger national systems that protect the health sector, tourism sector, and ultimately the economies of small island states. RIEWSS is CARPHA’s Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance and Response System, a Caribbean-tailored digital platform that integrates human, animal, environmental, and laboratory data to enhance early detection and response, so that public health threats can be identified and acted upon quickly. The timing of implementation ahead of SVG Carnival 2026 and with the 2026 Caribbean Premier League on the horizon, is strategic as these mass gatherings bring visitors, revenue, and heightened public health risk in equal measure.
What the mission delivered:
- An activated digital early warning system (RIEWSS). National officials were sensitised and trained on RIEWSS, a Caribbean-tailored suite of digital tools now configured at a national level with authorised login accounts to utilise available national digital data for enabling timely detection, reporting, and sharing of public health events.
- Smarter surveillance at ports of entry. The enhanced Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS 2.0) was launched and piloted, safeguarding the twin pillars of health and tourism on which OECS economies depend.
- Modernised vector-borne disease surveillance. Field data capture entomological components of the integrated surveillance system were field tested for roll out, utilising CARPHA’s DHIS2 Entomology Module for electronic data collection that improves data quality and timeliness.
- Readiness for mass gatherings. Public health personnel were trained on the Mass Gathering Surveillance System, expanded to support operations during SVG Carnival 2026 and future major events.
- Multisectoral preparedness put to the test. An immersive, real-world Caribbean-tailored, Tingua simulation exercise, a CARPHA innovative product that involved a One Health and other concurrent public health events including those related to mass gathering, requiring attention to multidisciplinary teamwork planning and response execution. This exercise brought together actors in human, animal and environmental health, as well as emergency management, strengthening coordination for integrated outbreak detection and response.
Partnership in Action
The mission concluded with two high-level debriefings with presentations led by Dr. Lisa Indar, CARPHA’s Executive Director. In attendance were senior Government officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister with National Security portfolio, the Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Energy, Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Health, Security and Tourism and the Chief Medical Officer, alongside a cadre of broader technical staff. Officials underscored the value of enhanced capabilities for national and regional health security and reaffirmed commitment to continued partnership.
Dr. Lisa Indar noted:
“This commitment to nationally adopt and pursue institutionalised implementation of RIEWSS and the advancements in other critical surveillance systems sets a precedent for Regional Health Security. This mission underscores CARPHA’s commitment to supporting our Member States in building resilient public health systems capable of effectively addressing current and emerging health threats”.
This achievement reflects the deepening operational partnership between CARPHA and OECS Member States. As the first to implement, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines advanced a proven pathway that other OECS Member States can now follow, with continued technical assistance to sustain and expand these systems across the sub-region. CARPHA will provide ongoing technical assistance and support to ensure the sustained success and expansion of these vital surveillance systems in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, contributing to a stronger and more resilient OECS.
