Bridgetown, Barbados, 10 April 2026 (PAHO/WHO) - Laboratory professionals from across the Caribbean are coming together in Barbados for a regional workshop focused on strengthening antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and diagnostic capacity.
From April 8–10, 2026, the Caribbean Training Workshop on Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and New Technologies for AMR Characterization is being held at the Best-dos-Santos Public Health Laboratory in Bridgetown, Barbados. The workshop is being organised by the PAHO/WHO Special Program on AMR, in collaboration with CARPHA, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and national partners.
The training brings together laboratory teams to explore and strengthen the use of technologies such as MALDI-TOF and infrared spectrometry, along with digital laboratory information systems including WHONET, SEDRI-LIMS, MAESTRIA, CLARION, and SENAITE. By combining these tools with standardised data systems aligned with ReLAVRA+ and GLASS, the workshop aims to support laboratories in generating timely, reliable data to guide both patient care and AMR surveillance.
In the lead-up to the workshop, PAHO hosted a series of virtual technical sessions on SEDRI-LIMS, with Suriname serving as a model country for system optimisation and demonstration. These sessions helped laboratories refresh their knowledge, explore new system features, and prepare for the hands-on learning and collaboration that will take place in Barbados.
