The CARPHA Evidence Portal and MedCarib database work together to provide public health professionals in the Caribbean region access to evidence-based information. They do this by: 1) Indexing and cataloging relevant local data through the MedCarib methodology to support decision-making and policy development. 2) The CARPHA Evidence Portal is built on BIREME's Virtual Health Library platform and collects Caribbean evidence, while MedCarib provides a database of health and medicine information for the English-speaking Caribbean. 3) Strategies to realize this collaboration included bringing together experts, using BIREME's reliable ICT infrastructure, and sharing previously undiscovered information.

1. CRICS10 – poster #104
The CARPHA Evidence Portal and
MedCarib Database, Poised to
Support Quality Decision-making
Victoria Cruickshank-Taylor – CARPHA
Ayaana Alleyne-Cumberbatch – UWI Medical Sciences Library, St Augustine

2. CRICS10 – poster #104
INTRODUCTION
Global public health issues exist in the
Caribbean region such as:
❑ Communicable diseases
❑ Non-communicable diseases
❑ Emerging and Re-emerging Public Health threats

3. CRICS10 – poster #104
Access to evidence-based public health
information is critical to address these issues
through:
❑ Informing decision-making
❑Developing sound policies

4. CRICS10 – poster #104
The CARPHA Evidence Portal via
the MedCarib database provides
this type of information

5. CRICS10 – poster #104
This Presentation Will Discuss:
❑The CARPHA’s Evidence portal and BIREME’s
MedCarib database collaboration
❑The strategies employed to realize this collaboration

6. CRICS10 – poster #104
The CARPHA EVIDENCE PORTAL
A repository of research, syntheses and Caribbean
policy-relevant documents.
The BIREME/MedCarib
A database of information on all aspects on health and
medicine relating to the English-speaking Caribbean
and Suriname.

7. Accessing
CARPHA Evidence Portal
❑Via the link
http://carphaevidenceportal.bvsalud.org
❑On the front page of CARPHA’s website

8. Accessing
BIREME’s MedCarib

9. CRICS10 – poster #104
WORKING TOGETHER
❑The Evidence Portal is built on BIREME’s Virtual
Health Library platform
❑Collects relevant locally produced evidence informed
Caribbean data, for use by policy makers
❑Index, cataloguing and data entry is done by using
MedCarib’s methodology and interface

10. CRICS10 – poster #104
STRATEGIES EMPLOYED
1. Bringing experts together
2. Using a reliable ICT infrastructure
3. Sharing previously undiscovered information

11. CRICS10 – poster #104
Step 1. Bringing experts together
Stakeholders included:
❑BIREME
❑McMaster Health Forum
❑The University of the West Indies, Medical Sciences
Library, Trinidad and Tobago
❑Cochrane Caribbean

12. CRICS10 – poster #104
Step 2. Using a reliable ICT infrastructure
❑BIREME’s ICT infrastructure.

13. CRICS10 – poster #104
Step 3. Sharing previously undiscovered information
❑Contributions from CARPHA Member States and key
MedCarib key persons
❑Making information discoverable
❑Credible resources of best practice.

14. CRICS10 – poster #104
❑Access to credible resources of best practice
❑Contributing to the growth of the MedCarib database.

15. CRICS10 – poster #104
WAY FORWARD
❑Human Resource
❑Financing
❑Promotion

16. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• Dr. Andrea Yearwood spearheaded the birth
of the CARPHA Evidence Portal.
• She formulated the policy documents and
brought experts together who contributed to
its development.

17. REFERENCES
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bvsalud.org/en/
• Caribbean Public Health Agency. (2014). Strengthening health systems in
the Caribbean through evidence-informed decision-making: a
comprehensive strategy for building and maintaining robust research
policy linkages. CARPHA.
• Caribbean Public Health Agency. (2017). Report of regional consultation to
develop a knowledge sharing mechanism for non-communicable diseases
and vector-borne diseases for CARPHA member States. Port of Spain:
CARPHA. (Unpublished)
• The University of the West Indies, Mona. (1991). MedCarib network
selection guidelines. Kingston: UWI, Mona. (Unpublished)