KINGSTON, Jamaica — On March 1, 2023, Ambassador Nick Perry, accompanied by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Caribbean Regional Office Director Dr Emily Kainne Dokubo, donated laboratory equipment valued at approximately $91 million to Jamaica’s Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW).

Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, minister of state in the MOHW, received the donation on behalf of the ministry, at the event held in collaboration with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

CDC is the United States’ lead public health agency and supports health systems strengthening, provides quality HIV prevention and treatment services, and improves health outcomes. In partnership with the MOHW, CDC has provided technical expertise and financial assistance to support COVID-19 response efforts and address other health threats. Through an agreement with PAHO, CDC funded procurement of a genomic sequencing machine and laboratory reagents to increase diagnostic capacity for COVID-19 and other diseases as part of surveillance and laboratory systems strengthening. An additional genomic sequencing machine was also procured through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

A plasma apheresis machine, the first of its kind in Jamaica, was also donated by CDC and will improve blood donation and transfusion services. The device receives blood from a blood donor and separates it into different components — red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets — increasing capacity to offer lifesaving blood products to Jamaicans.

The equipment will be placed at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) to increase diagnostic capacity in Jamaica. The NPHL is a public health facility comprised of several reference laboratory units that provide referral services across Jamaica. The NPHL performs specialised testing for priority infectious and non-communicable diseases, conducts laboratory-based disease surveillance, and provides quality assurance for Jamaica’s public health laboratory network. CDC supports NPHL to strengthen the national laboratory system and supports quality of diagnostic services in other laboratory facilities across the island.

Through CDC, the United States remains committed to supporting Jamaica to strengthen its health systems and improve health outcomes for the population.