Bridgetown, Barbados, 21 February 2025 (PAHO) – Barbados now has a Living Laboratory, marking a significant milestone in public health innovation and research.
The state-of-the-art facility, located on the grounds of the Best dos Santos Public Health Laboratory at Enmore Complex, Martindales Road, St. Michael, was officially opened by Prime Minister of Barbados, The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley and Minister of Health and Wellness and Senior Minister Coordinating Social and Environmental Policy, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott.
The Barbados Living Laboratory is designed to advance genomic sequencing, molecular diagnostics, and chronic disease research, strengthening the country’s ability to monitor and respond to public health challenges. This initiative builds on the continued development of Barbados’ health systems, following the Best dos Santos Public Health Laboratory’s recognition as a National Influenza Centre by the World Health Organization (WHO) in April 2024.
By focusing on genomic sequencing and molecular diagnostics, the facility will help improve the early detection and management of infectious diseases while also advancing chronic disease research to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley emphasized that the establishment of the Barbados Living Laboratory was inspired by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s historical foundations such as in pharmaceutical development.
“The decision for establishing the Barbados Living Laboratory came out of those early days of fighting the pandemic as well as to build on elements of the country’s ecosystem and history,” the Prime Minister stated.
She noted that as early as 1882, Barbados had established a pharmaceutical company that not only served the island but also provided products to neighbouring countries. “Because of the COVID-19 experience and the historic ecosystem related to pharmaceutical development in the country, it was imperative to move to the next level,” she explained.
Prime Minister Mottley also highlighted the government’s investment in tertiary-level education, linking it to the need for a scientific research ecosystem.
“If we are going to pay for education for our students at a tertiary level and particularly given the volume of persons going into the sciences, then it is only natural that we have to create a broader ecosystem that will allow them to be able to find jobs in the land of their birth or the land where they have assumed nationality in,” she stated.
The Living Laboratory is a key step in ensuring that scientists, researchers, and health professionals in Barbados have opportunities to contribute to innovation locally while driving regional advancements in public health.
It was an extremely proud moment for Minister Walcott who commended the Prime Minister “for her belief in research and recognition of the importance of having a Living Laboratory and most importantly providing the financial and human resources to make it possible.”
“The Barbados Living laboratory will link patients to physicians to researchers and academia with industries. In our case, pharmacogenomics and biotechnology being all linked. Through the performance of genomic sequencing and various molecular studies related to cancer, chronic diseases, rare diseases and HLA typing, not only for transplant surgery, but to diagnose certain conditions,” he explained.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been a key partner in this initiative, providing essential equipment, training, and technical expertise to support the lab’s establishment.
Last year, PAHO supported two senior experts from Barbados to attend a regional consultation in Brazil on Equitable Knowledge Generation and Translation of Human Genomic Research for Health. This consultation set the agenda for advancing equitable genomic research and medicine in the Americas.
Additionally, personnel from the Best dos Santos Public Health Laboratory have benefited from specialized training on genotyping in Panama and respiratory viruses in Brazil, further enhancing the country’s capabilities in disease detection and monitoring. Support will soon be provided for the use of the equipment for anti-microbial resistance surveillance.
To equip the Barbados Living Laboratory, PAHO has donated freezers for sample storage, along with equipment and reagents for genotyping—a crucial process that helps identify disease variants, such as COVID-19 strains including Alpha, Delta, and Omicron. These contributions strengthen Barbados' ability to conduct high-quality genomic sequencing and disease tracking.
“We are very proud to be once again celebrating with Barbados on another public health achievement. PAHO remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Health and Wellness in ensuring that the Barbados Living Laboratory continues to drive scientific advancements and improve health outcomes for all,” said Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries.
