United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has advanced this project in response to an invitation from Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago through the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). The project involves the development of a new joint facility in Port of Spain for three key stakeholders: CARPHA Offices and Laboratory, National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) of Trinidad and Tobago. The purpose of the new facility will be to provide the space and equipment to offer a 24-hour service in public health for the country.
CARPHA’s mission is “to provide strategic direction in analyzing, defining and responding to public health priorities of CARICOM in order to prevent disease, promote health and respond to public health emergencies”. In this context, the purpose of the new CARPHA Laboratory will be related to three key functions, namely: laboratory services, surveillance and health analysis and emergency preparedness and response.
The aim of this project was to develop a new building that will include the CARPHA offices and laboratories as well as the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) of Trinidad and Tobago. These components will benefit from their co-location and some shared facilities, including a number of buildings systems.