Speakers - 2025

Biography

Dr. Indar is an innovative public health scientist/specialist with 20 years of regional and international experience in managing and executing regional public health surveillance and response, with demonstrated robust leadership, management, coordination, multidisciplinary technical expertise (public health, emergency and response, food safety, environmental health, travellers’ health), health diplomacy, communications, and resource mobilization skills. She has a Ph.D. (with high commendation), an MSc (distinction), and a BSc (honors).

Dr. Indar currently holds the position of Ad Interim Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), as of July 2024, having served in her substantive post of Director, Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division (D-SDPC) for the past four years and the Assistant D-SDPC prior. Most recently, Dr. Indar, through her stewardship, has successfully led CARPHA through its health response post-Hurricane Beryl, regional response to Mpox and COVID-19, and the development and implementation of novel, regional mass gathering surveillance for the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup (June 2024).
 

Abstract

Background: The Caribbean small-island development states are characterised by their tourism dependence, interconnected, porous borders, underresourced populations, and varying health and surveillance capacities. Travel and tourism are key economic drivers yet facilitate the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, providing a conduit for local outbreaks to become pandemics, as the first cases of COVID-19 and its variants were imported.

Method: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) led the regional public health response to COVID-19, as mandated, which incorporated robust, multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination with Heads of Government, Ministers, health, security, and tourism leads, regional and international entities; provision of surveillance and response, technical guidance, laboratory services, risk communications, resource mobilization, vaccination support, capacity building, and instruments to promote tourism recovery and healthier, safer tourism (HST) to its 26 Member States.

Result: CARPHA produced 265 situation reports, 64 technical guidelines, 104 vaccine updates, 11 regional documents, 44 videos, 73 infographics, 78 travel briefs, 136 country reopening plans, 175 infographics, trained >14,000 persons, and tested 165,164 samples from 17 CMS (27.38% positive; identification of 3,658 samples with variants of concern). For tourism recovery, CARPHA trained ~9,000 people in preventing COVID-19 in the hospitality sector; provided real-time surveillance and alerts for visitor illnesses in cruise ships (1641 COVID-19 alerts) and accommodation settings (34 alerts; 1001 businesses) that triggered rapid responses; issued 140 HST awards and joint tourism safety communication with tourism entities. 

Conclusion: CARPHA implements an integrated, multi-faceted, and multi-sectoral response to public health threats, like COVID-19. CARPHA continues to work with countries and partners to strengthen regional health security.