The CAREC story. The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre: Contributions to Public Health 1975-2012

The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), an institute of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), was established on 1 January 1975 succeeding the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory. The new CAREC’s role was to expand and improve the diagnosis, surveillance, control, and prevention of communicable diseases throughout the Commonwealth Caribbean as well as to conduct operational research. Initially, there were 18 countries and the Centre expanded later to include the former Dutch territories Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire and the Netherlands Antilles. CAREC was funded by its Member Countries, PAHO/WHO, the British Government and grants from various funding agencies.