The activities of BIREME/PAHO/WHO in the Caribbean have been in the spotlight in recent weeks, consolidating technical cooperation with countries in the region to strengthen health systems and expand access to scientific and technical information produced by countries in the region. The activities were carried out in June in CuraƧao and in May in Trinidad and Tobago. Check out the details.
BIREME’s strategic participation in ACURIL 2025
On June 4, BIREME participated remotely in a pre-conference to the annual event held by the Association of Caribbean University, Research, and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL), held this year in CuraƧao. Marcia Barretto, BIREME’s IT Infrastructure Coordinator, participated in the round table on the Virtual Health Library, dedicated to the theme āLeveraging gray literature to strengthen health systems: a collaborative approach to combating mosquito-borne diseases in the Caribbean,ā organized in partnership with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
The virtual meeting, chaired by Ayaana Alleyne Roberts, emphasized the importance of collaboration between regional institutions to address common public health challenges, such as mosquito-borne diseases. BIREME’s technical contribution was positively recognized by the organizers, highlighting the Center’s expertise in supporting the management and dissemination of scientific and technical health information.
This is the 54th edition of the ACURIL Conference, a traditional annual event that brings together experts and professionals of libraries, museums, and archives in the Caribbean. The 2025 program was structured around the theme āDigital Humanities: Connecting the Caribbean through Archives, Museums, and Libraries,ā covering critical and contemporary topics around four main themes: Digital preservation, identity, and decolonization of Caribbean heritage; Innovative technologies, public engagement, and emerging trends; Collaboration, education, and capacity building; and Sustainability, resilience, and financing in the Digital Age.
In-person workshop on bibliographic records with CARPHA
On May 27-29, 2025, BIREME conducted an in-person workshop in Trinidad and Tobago, focused on training professionals in the region to use FI-Admin, a tool developed by the Center for the management of bibliographic databases. The activity was coordinated by Marcia Barretto as part of an initiative supported by the European Union, under the Program to Support the Strengthening of Health Systems for the Prevention and Response to Outbreaks of Zika and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases in the Caribbean, whose CARPHA is the executing agency.
The training activity brought together 25 participants from eight CARPHA member countries: Anguilla, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent; as well as professionals from Trinidad and Tobago from the University of the West Indies, the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), and the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS). Over three days, the participants were trained in topics such as bibliographic records management and classification, use of controlled vocabularies (DeCS), data interoperability, and best practices in information curation.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve the quality and quantity of regional bibliographic records, thereby strengthening the MedCarib database collection, a key repository of Caribbean health literature.
Marcia Barretto’s mission to the country also included an official visit to the PAHO/WHO Representative Office in Trinidad and Tobago (PAHO/WHO TTO), where she met with Shellon Bovell, Advisor on Health Services and Systems (HSS) and Acting Representative, and Ayaana Alexander, HSS focal point for BIREME, to discuss the development and maintenance of information products and services for the country.
Coordination and next steps
Besides training activities, BIREME’s mission in Trinidad and Tobago included meetings with PAHO/WHO staff in the country to align strategies for the development and maintenance of information products and services of national interest, such as the e-BlueInfo app and new solutions for evidence-based decision-making.
Among the recommendations of the meeting were the expansion of the use of FI-Admin among CARPHA Member States, the strengthening of the MedCarib network, and the updating of the Carpha EvIDeNCe portal, with an emphasis on sharing information about Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Commitment to information for action in health
The Caribbean is a strategic region for PAHO and BIREME, considering its epidemiological particularities and public health challenges, especially those related to mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, dengue, and Chikungunya. PAHO and BIREME have advanced in its mission to strengthen the capacity of Caribbean and Latin American countries to respond to these challenges through technical training, promotion of regional cooperation, and development of innovative solutions in information management and scientific evidence. This commitment is essential to ensure rapid and effective responses to emerging public health threats, contributing to health security and improving the quality of life of the region’s populations.