CARPHA is the new public health agency for the Caribbean, legally established in July 2011 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government. CARPHA began operations in January 2013 with its formal launch on July 2, of the same year.

The establishment of CARPHA was grounded in the philosophy and principles of regional cooperation. Since 1973, with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, cooperation in health was identified as an important strategy to bolster health sector development. The Caribbean Cooperation in Health Initiative (CCH) was therefore established as the strategic framework to promote collaborative action in addressing the critical public health problems facing the Region. 

The Agency is the principal institutional expression of the Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH) and a merger of five Regional Health Institutions (RHIs), three CARICOM entities: Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI), the Caribbean Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (CRDTL) and the Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC), as well as two PAHO entities: the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI). The expectation of the resultant merger is a rationalization of operations of the previously operating RHIs and an enhanced scope and depth of support provided to Member States. 

As an institution of the CARICOM Community, the Agency serves 26 member states and is governed at the highest level by the Heads of Government and the Council of Ministers of Health of Member States (COHSOD) which are the principal policy making organs for the Agency. The Council appoints an Executive Board which provides general and specific policy directions to it, reviews performance of the Agency and conducts a periodic review of the IGA. 

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) supports the functioning of the Board by advising on the scientific and technical areas of work, in particular on policies and strategies necessary for the fulfilment of the objectives of the Agency and prioritizing of programmes. Several Sub-TACs also contribute to the functioning of the TAC namely:

•             Public Health Nutrition Advisory Committee (PHNAC)

•             Laboratory Advisory Committee (LAC)

•             Technical Advisory Committee on Pharmaceutical Policy (TECHPHARM)

•             Training Advisory Committee (TrAC)

•             Research Advisory Committee (RAC)

•             Communications Technical Advisory Committee (C-TAC)

•             Caribbean Public Health Laboratory Network (CARIPHLN)