Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET)

The Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) is a collaborative network whose objective is to improve the animal health and sanitary quality of animal-based products in the Caribbean. Officially launched in 2006, it links veterinary services, research centres, diagnostic laboratories, universities and the regional and international organisations present in the Caribbean.

Trade, globalisation and tourism, in addition to the rapidly changing regional and global environment, represent constraints for the veterinary services in Caribbean countries seeking to protect animal health.
The Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) is a collaborative network seeking to promote international standards and regional harmonisation in animal health and veterinary public health.

Objectives

  • Supporting the development of a regional strategy for animal health and thereby helping to improve the competitiveness of livestock in the Caribbean region
  • Strengthening national capacities for the preparation, surveillance, control and management of animal and zoonotic diseases
  • Assisting in the implementation of early detection and rapid response for infectious outbreaks
  • Improving and harmonising the surveillance and control of animal and zoonotic diseases
  • Developing the knowledge base on animal and zoonotic diseases in the Caribbean
  • Creating the technical tools needed to improve diagnostic capacity in the region

Partnership

CaribVET is a network of collaborations involving the veterinary services of 33 countries and territories in the Caribbean as well as:

  • Research institutes: CIRAD (Guadeloupe), CENSA (Cuba)
  • Veterinary faculties: School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of the West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago), University of Guyana (Guyana)
  • International organisations: OIE - World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • Regional organisations: US Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS-IS), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
  • The secretariat of CARICOM and the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA)
Map of CaribVET countries

Organisation

CaribVET is a well-structured network with a steering committee made up of the chief veterinary officers of the 33 member countries and territories, and representatives of two research centres, two universities, and six regional and international organisations.

CaribVET organisation

A coordination unit takes care of the planning, supervision and coordination of all activities while working groups implement the activities and studies recommended by the steering committee.
CaribVET currently has six working groups: four thematic groups (avian influenza, swine diseases, ticks and tick-borne diseases, and veterinary public health) and two cross-cutting groups (epidemiology and laboratory).