The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) participated in the International Conference on Cancer in Geographically Isolated Populations (ICCGIP), held in Grenada on 20 March 2026 under the theme “Medical Travel for Cancer Care — Navigating Access, Quality, and Equity.”
The conference brought together regional and international stakeholders to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering cancer care in small island and geographically isolated settings.
Dr Taraleen Malcolm, Advisor for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, delivered opening remarks on behalf of Dr Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, reaffirming PAHO’s commitment to supporting Member States in strengthening equitable access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
In her address, Dr Malcolm highlighted the realities faced by many Caribbean patients, noting that cancer care often requires travel beyond national borders due to limited specialised services and small population sizes. While medical travel can be lifesaving, she emphasised that it frequently imposes significant financial, administrative, and emotional burdens on patients and their families. These challenges, she noted, can deepen existing inequities, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Dr Malcolm called for a coordinated regional response rooted in a people-centred approach. This includes strengthening early detection and referral systems within countries, improving coordination and quality assurance for care accessed abroad, and ensuring continuity of care upon patients’ return home. She further stressed the importance of expanding collaboration across countries, including service-sharing arrangements, tele-oncology, and investments in a well-supported health workforce to gradually reduce dependence on overseas care.
Joining the conference virtually, Dr Frederique Dorleans, Advisor, Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity and Focal point for the French Territories of the Americas, at the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, contributed to discussions by highlighting the existing expertise and capacity for cancer diagnosis and treatment in the French Caribbean territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe. She emphasised the potential for these territories to serve as important partners in regional collaboration.
Dr Dorleans also outlined PAHO’s role in fostering stronger cooperation across the Caribbean, including facilitating the sharing of best practices, supporting knowledge exchange, and promoting more integrated approaches to cancer care delivery. These efforts are aligned with PAHO’s broader mandate to advance equitable health outcomes and strengthen health systems resilience across the Region of the Americas.
Dr Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries said, “Conferences like ICCGIP provide an essential platform for countries to exchange experiences and build collaborative, people‑centred approaches to cancer care ensuring that equity and quality remain central, even in small islands developing settings.”
The conference provided a valuable platform for aligning policy, practice, and partnerships to address the unique challenges of cancer care in small island developing states. PAHO’s participation reinforced its commitment to working with countries and partners to ensure that geographic isolation does not determine cancer outcomes, and that all people have access to timely, quality, and equitable care.
