Timely Population Health Planning in the Caribbean

In response to these challenges, the region requires a coordinated effort to collectively prescribe a course of action to mitigate existing and emergent population health challenges. Trident House International LLC (Trident) works with public, private and community partners to design and implement public health strategies within a shared population health value system. The Firm believes that there are three core principles of a shared population health value system:

• Multi-sector strategic partnerships: Strategic partnerships across community, public and private sectors
• A robust “Digit to Digest” pathway: Strengthen the pathway from data collection, analysis, translation, dissemination, to internalization and action
• Health in All Policies (HiAP): Incorporate a shared value approach to program and policy design and development

Applying these core principles, Trident proposes the adaptation of the Collective Impact and Healthy People 2020 models to develop a more real-time, interactive, web-based Caribbean Healthy People 2030 Strategic Plan (CHP2030).

Collective Impact is defined as the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem^[3]. It is founded on ensuring five key conditions: Common Agenda, Shared Measurement, Mutually Reinforcing Activities, Continuous Communication, and Backbone Support^[4]. Specific focus should be given to nontraditional private sector partners such as the airline, hotel, cruise, and financial industries, who have vested interests in the health and well-being of the region. Poor population health would have devastating long-term implications for their workforce, as well as direct financial impact due to reductions in service demand and provision.

The Healthy People^[5] framework includes the identification of Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), corresponding high priority objectives, and applicable interventions and resources that can guide policy and program formulation over a 10-year span. This information is then presented in an interactive web-based format for the community, public, and private stakeholders to consume and utilize. The CHP2030 should incorporate objectives similar to those promoted in Healthy People 2020, particularly those related to the Social Determinants of Health^[6] (SDOH):

• Neighborhood & Built Environment
• Economic Stability
• Education
• Social and Community Context
• Health & Health Care

A dynamic, regional population health strategic plan would strengthen the Caribbean’s ability to implement more real-time public health interventions, ensuring healthier communities where citizens can safely live, work, learn, play, and prosper. The plan would allow countries to:

• Identify Social Determinant of Health disparities
• Target avoidable barriers to optimal health and wellness
• Realize increased efficiencies
• Reduce or contain costs
• Prioritize service needs to inform universal health care development activities

It should be designed for forecasting population health trends and implementing effective downstream interventions in a more timely manner. The region would be in a better position to collect and share lessons learned and optimize the use of limited resources. By using more real-time performance outcomes and assessment tools, the region would attract more external funders and partners who have social and financial stakes in a healthy Caribbean.

Strategic planning should begin by inviting a small cohort of keystone islands, then expanding to other interested Caribbean nations. The initial goal would be to conduct a Regional Population Health Environmental Scan, with the following objectives:

• Identify traditional and nontraditional partners to form cross-sector planning group
• Environmental scan to map the existing landscape
• Review and compare country data to Healthy People to determine baselines and gaps
• Facilitate outreach and communication strategies

The success of this initiative would rely heavily on the ability of traditional and nontraditional, but equally invested, cross-sector partners to effectively coordinate the development and implementation of the Caribbean Healthy People 2030 Strategic Plan.