Report on Strengthening Research Capacities for Health in the Caribbean, 2007-2017

Abstract

Summary of Efforts PAHO’s efforts have led directly to the expansion of research capacity in the Region, which has included training more than 700 professionals from 19 countries in the key skills needed to carry out research for health programs, and the offer of 36 scholarships for professionals from seven CARICOM countries to attain masters, doctorates and specialization degrees. A coherent focus on the construction of effective teams, with the goal of supporting research production and further capacity development, catalyzed regional training initiatives in the Caribbean region as well as the institutional frameworks necessary for advancing research. These bodies include regional training centers for systematic reviews (Cochrane Caribbean), epidemiology (International Clinical Epidemiology Network / INCLEN), and a training center for Effective Project Planning and Evaluation for Biomedical and Health Research (at UWI and SGU). Capacity development is evident across the region, with institutional focal points at UWI, SGU-Grenada, and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). The Caribbean-wide presence of these training efforts has featured workshops in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, —thus furthering representation from across the region. To support workshop attendance, travel scholarships have been provided for workshop participants...