Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Lisa Indar as the new Executive Director, effective February 1st 2025. Dr. Indar previously held the position of Ad Interim Executive Director of CARPHA, from July 2024, having served in her substantive post of Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control (SDPC) since 2019, as well as the Head of the Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP) since 2014. See photo of Dr Indar attached.
Vision for CARPHA
During the recently held CARPHA staff retreat, Dr. Indar shared her vision for the Agency and unveiled the new strategic plan 2025-2030:
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“While communicable and non-communicable diseases and related public health threats continue to rise globally and regionally, I am proud to lead a team of dedicated professionals under our ‘Integrated , One Health Agency’ to implement Caribbean-tailored interventions aligning to the uniqueness of our Caribbean region and delivering excellence in public health. Our greatest strengths are regional solidarity among our 26 Member States, our resilient, committed people and CARPHA’s Integrated Surveillance approach which combines human health to causation, including environmental and animal sources to combat a myriad of public health threats.
As we look ahead at the next five years, we have ensured that CARPHA’s six priority areas are aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This will position the Agency to commit to a results-based management system to better serve our Member States, to boost the work, partnerships and relevance of CARPHA, while strengthening our capacity building efforts”. Please see video link here: https://youtu.be/CcfIyTsINvA
Dr. Lisa Indar is an innovative, visionary, results-oriented, public health leader with over 20 years of experience in regional and international public health. Her career is marked by robust leadership, strategic management, health diplomacy, resource mobilisation and an exceptional ability to forge multisectoral partnerships and to develop and coordinate multifaceted, regional and international health initiatives. Dr. Indar holds a PhD (with high commendation), MSc (Distinction), and BSc (Honors) with multidisciplinary qualifications.
Under her stewardship, Dr Indar led several key public health initiatives, including, but not limited to:
- Coordination of CARPHA’s successful, multi-faceted regional health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working with 26 countries, Chief Medical Officers, and international and regional stakeholders to mitigate the impact of the virus across the Caribbean
- Spearheading the implementation of the US$16M Regional Pandemic Fund Grant, aimed at enhancing pandemic preparedness and response capabilities across CARPHA’s 26 Member States:
- Development of CARPHA’s Regional Health Security Framework, pathway and mapping of priorities with Member States and partners, a strategic initiative to strengthen regional public health preparedness and response
- Coordinated the implementation of a novel mass gathering surveillance system for the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024, enabling real-time monitoring of public health risks during large-scale events.
- Coordinated CARPHA’s regional health response following Hurricane Beryl and the Mpox outbreak of August 2024, ensuring effective public health interventions and support for affected Member States
- Led the development of the regional integrated “One Health” surveillance strategy (linking human, animal and environmental health)
- Developed the Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP), a novel, groundbreaking initiative, tackling health, safety, and environmental sanitation threats within the tourism sector, as well as the ”one health” foodborne diseases and antimicrobial resistance programmes
- Strengthened partnerships with key regional and international health, tourism, agriculture and environmental agencies.
CARPHA is the sole, integrated, regional public health agency in the Caribbean, responsible for preventing disease, promoting and protecting health in the Caribbean through leadership, innovation and partnerships. CARPHA is mandated by its Intergovernmental Agreement to supports its 26 Member States in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats in the Caribbean.
