Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC)
Caribbean islands are particularly vulnerable to external shocks from natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and economic decline. This is largely due to their geographic location and economic structure, which is heavily dependent on climate-related activities such as tourism and agriculture. The shock from pandemics like COVID-19 can therefore have devastating effects on the health sector due to increased demand for health services. The occurrence and duration of disease outbreaks are particularly difficult to predict, with outbreaks often being transmitted from one country to another—especially given the high level of international and regional travel.
Within the Caribbean region, data on COVID-19 cases are reported to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) regional office from national ministries of health. Even though this data provides insights on trends and hotspots in the region, there are weaknesses in the timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of this data. These weaknesses have contributed to significant challenges in COVID-19 decision making within each country.
Several lessons have been learned in the region and beyond from the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the need to strengthen health information systems (HIS) to ensure adequate preparedness for future health emergencies.
Supporting the region’s COVID-19 response
CHISU has been supporting ministries of health in five ESC countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Suriname) to identify COVID-19 data gaps that could hinder their timely and effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, CHISU is providing technical assistance to each of these countries’ ministries of health to support improved data collection, aggregation, analysis, and use of COVID-19 vaccination data.
Additionally, CHISU has supported the production of communication materials highlighting USAID’s support to the COVID-19 response in the region. These materials have included fifteen monthly newsletters distributed to the White House, ESC embassies, and other U.S. Government stakeholders and which highlighted COVID-19 case and vaccination data from countries in the region, as well as descriptions of CHISU and other partners’ activities around COVID-19.
Providing HIS support across the region
CHISU provided short-term technical assistance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to establish a supply chain strategic plan and develop HIS requirements to improve delivery of health commodities in the country. This initiative included a desk review of available documentation; onsite facility assessments; and workshops around supply chain strategy and information technology systems requirements.
In addition, CHISU is helping develop and launch the Caribbean HIS Technical Support Facility through support to the University of the West Indies’ Center for Health Economics. This facility will help institutionalize HIS technical support in the Caribbean region by providing consistent availability of HIS technical capacity outside of country governments; being a source for consistent, standards-based HIS guidance; serving as a regional collaboration platform for benchmarking against expected HIS performance; and more.
The program is also helping plan a regional HIS learning exchange to bring together stakeholders to exchange lessons learned and strategize around integrated health information management following COVID-19.
Activity Updates
Regional HIS Learning Event in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean
At the end of January 2024, CHISU convened regional health information system (HIS) stakeholders in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to share lessons learned to strengthen HIS coordination in the region. Read more ›
Blog Posts
Better data for better decisions: Building health information systems with women’s perspectives
We recently led a learning exchange in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago focused on health information systems in the Caribbean for countries to learn from each other’s efforts to accelerate digital transformation. The event highlighted the commitment to strengthening health information systems in the Caribbean but also revealed gender disparities in the region—so we're reflecting on questions that can help us close the gender digital divide. Read more ›
Resources
CHISU Highlights from October 2022–September 2023
The Country Health Information and Data Systems Use (CHISU) program experienced remarkable growth from October 2022–September 2023, expanding from nine countries and regions at the beginning of the year to 17 at the end of the year. CHISU was engaged in 10 global technical activities at the beginning of the year, and 26 at the end of the year.