GCSE INNOVATION LABS · CARIBBEAN
Early Warning Systems Lab
Enabling Ministries of Health to act earlier and more efficiently by linking climate forecasts directly to dengue prevention decisions and resource allocation
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Avriel Diaz
LAB LOCATION
-
Trinidad & Tobago
-
The Bahamas
FOCUS AREAS
Dengue EWS
Climate Forecasting
Vector Control
LAB OVERVIEW
From Forecast to Action
This lab advances the operational use of climate-informed dengue early warning systems — moving beyond research to embed tools directly within Ministries of Health and National Meteorological Services.
The focus is on ensuring forecasts are not only accurate, but usable for real decisions: vector control timing, staffing, and budget allocation. Building on years of transdisciplinary work across the Caribbean, the lab is expanding into Trinidad & Tobago and The Bahamas through a co-production approach, where climate scientists and health decision-makers jointly design and implement systems.
Key Lab Priorities
Embed early warning tools directly within Ministries of Health and National Meteorological Services
Ensure forecasts translate into real operational decisions — vector control, staffing, budget allocation
Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and long-term sustainability beyond initial deployment
Co-production approach: climate scientists and health decision-makers design systems together
METHODOLOGY
How the Lab Works
The lab operates through a co-production cycle — integrating climate science, epidemiological data, and institutional capacity-building into a self-sustaining early warning system.
01
Climate Forecast Integration
Linking meteorological data — temperature, rainfall, humidity — to dengue transmission models for operational forecasting.
02
Co-Production with Health Authorities
Climate scientists and Ministries of Health jointly design tools — ensuring they're usable, trusted, and institutionally embedded.
03
Operational Decision Support
Early warning outputs drive real decisions: vector control scheduling, staffing, budget allocation, and public communication.
04
Long-Term Sustainability
Monitoring, evaluation, and capacity strengthening ensure systems remain active and impactful beyond initial deployment.
ACTIVE LOCATIONS
Expanding Across
the Caribbean
Building on foundational transdisciplinary work, the lab is now expanding into two new country contexts through the same co-production approach.
Trinidad & Tobago
Active Implementation · Ministry of Health Partnership
✓ Climate-linked dengue EWS deployment
✓ National Meteorological Service integration
✓ Vector control decision support tools
✓ Health system capacity building
LAB ACTIVITIES
The Bahamas
Active Implementation · Ministry of Health Partnership
COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS
Lab Partners
This lab brings together a transdisciplinary coalition spanning public health agencies, meteorological institutions, academic centers, and government ministries.
Climate & Meteorology
Caribbean Institute for Hydrology and Meteorology
CIMH
Computational Science
Barcelona Supercomputing Center
BSC
Regional Health
Caribbean Public Health Agency
CARPHA
Academic Research
University of Florida
UF
Government
Ministries of Health
Trinidad & Tobago · The Bahamas
Government
National Meteorological Services
Trinidad & Tobago · The Bahamas
PEER- REVIEWED RESEARCH
Related Publications
The lab builds on a body of peer-reviewed research across leading journals in global health, climate, and epidemiology.
1
BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH
THE LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH · 2025
2
3
THE LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH · 2023
Co-production of climate-health early warning systems: lessons from the Caribbean→
PLOS CLIMATE
4
5
GET INVOLVED
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