Guyana eager to showcase health advances at upcoming Regional Health Research Conference

…as CARPHA 70th Annual Research Conference launched

Guyana is positioning itself to highlight major advances in public health, digital innovation, and disease elimination when it hosts the 70th Annual Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Health Research Conference from April 22–24, 2026, under the theme “Innovations in Health.”

This was noted by Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony as he delivered remarks on Friday at the launch of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) 70th Annual Health Research Conference 2026, which is slated to be held in Guyana from 22 to 24 April, 2026. The conference is being held under the theme “Innovations in Health”. Anthony noted that Guyana intends to use the conference to present transformative developments in several areas of national healthcare, many of which place the country at the forefront of innovation in the Caribbean.
“We are very pleased to host the 70th CARPHA Conference. We believe that by hosting it here in Guyana that we can share some of our experiences, as well as new things that we are doing in health here in Guyana,” Dr Anthony noted.
“Sharing [our] experience would help countries in the region to learn from what we are doing here, and perhaps if they have such challenges in their countries, be able to use some of these techniques we have used in their respective countries… A lot of ideas are learned from academic presentations and by sharing the ideas and seeing the new research that is emerging, so I think this would really help countries and researchers to benefit.”

Health achievements
Among the health achievements and developments to be highlighted are Guyana’s transition to digital health records, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted interpretation of X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, the deployment of drone technology for medical transport, and new national vaccination programmes. Anthony noted Guyana’s recent switch from the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine—which protects against four strains of the virus—to the nonavalent HPV vaccine, which protects against nine strains, as well as the introduction of the country’s first influenza (flu) vaccination programme.
Other advances expected to be showcased include Guyana’s developing transplant programme, which currently covers kidney and corneal transplants, as well as the country’s emerging national capacity in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing, a critical resource for transplantation compatibility assessment and broader immunology applications in the region. Anthony noted that Guyana’s national school health screening programme will also be presented as a model for improving health outcomes of children across the Caribbean.
He also pointed to the work being done in Guyana to eliminate at least five neglected infections by 2030 and the country’s expansive and developing telemedicine network. “We thought that this conference would help to showcase some of those things. We want to shift the sense from some of the more traditional things that we are accustomed to get at these conferences to a blend of some of the traditional and some of the emerging technologies,” the Health Minister said.
“There’s many other things that we are doing. We have a number of things that we would like to share, and I’m sure that the countries coming in also would have lots of other things that they have been doing in their countries so that at this conference, it would really be a place where we would be able to exchange.”

Health research conference
According to CARPHA, the conference is the longest-running health research conference in the English-speaking Caribbean, with over 400 delegates, including the Chief Medical Officer, public health practitioners and researchers. The goal of the conference is to generate research and innovative thinking and facilitate and promote communication and shaping of scientific outputs among health scientists, policymakers, and related professionals in the wider Caribbean region. Several representatives from CARPHA’s 26 member states are expected to participate.
Anthony said that Guyana has a deep history of medical research which “goes back to around the 1800s”, and the country looks forward to reclaiming its legacy of publishing scientific findings and contributing meaningfully to regional academic knowledge.
“We have a long history of doing a number of things in medicine, and we publish some of it, and I think we want to regain that tradition of letting people know of some of the research. Especially new things that we are doing here, and this conference will give us an opportunity to showcase some of the good work of our researchers and doctors here,” Dr Anthony noted.
“So we really welcome this conference, and we are happy to be the host… I think we’re in for an exciting treat, and I hope that we get lots of people coming here so that we can have these vibrant conversations.”

7 decades of Caribbean-led public health research
Joining Anthony at the head table of the launch was CARPHA Executive Director Dr Lisa Indar, who described the 2026 conference as more than an academic gathering, calling it a celebration of seven decades of Caribbean-led public health research and policy development. “This is more than just a conference. It’s a legacy, a momentous event set to take place in Guyana in April. Guyana has demonstrated exemplary leadership in the industry of health, which makes Guyana the perfect host, with the conference focused on innovation,” Dr Indar noted.
Indar noted that innovations such as rapid gene sequencing, AI-driven surveillance, satellite-based outbreak detection, new diagnostic tools, mobile clinics and telemedicine are already reshaping public health worldwide and in the Caribbean. Dr Indar underscored the importance of renewed partnerships across academia, Government, civil society, and the private sector.
“The 70th conference will highlight how our level of digital and technological advances are shaping health and strengthening our collective preparedness. We stand at the threshold of a new era where innovation is driving access efficiency and precision in unprecedented ways,” Dr Indar noted.
According to Dr Indar, this 70th edition of the conference is expected to feature several special anniversary events, including a special anniversary dinner, a commemorative 70th edition magazine, digital health demonstrations and platforms that help elevate Caribbean-led science onto the global stage.
CARPHA is inviting research submissions, with abstracts due by December 19, 2025.
“As we reflect on 70 years of progress, I encourage all stakeholders – Government, academic institutions, developing partners, the private sector, civil society and sponsors – to continue supporting regional health. I encourage all students, universities, researchers and health practitioners to participate in this momentous research event, to share and highlight your health innovations to the world,” Dr Indar noted.