Call made for greater partnerships to improve public health

Sherine Mungal, founder of periodical U The Caribbean Health Digest, has called for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive meaningful, lasting improvements in the public health sector.

She made the call on Tuesday May 27, at the U Health and Wellness Expo at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain which the periodical hosted.

She stressed that real progress in healthcare requires leadership from government and active partnership with private sector stakeholders.

“No administration can succeed in isolation,” Mungal said. "Whether it’s a small family-run business or a sector giant, the private sector must be deeply involved for any lasting impact on public health.”

She recounted the magazine’s early mission to provide credible, Caribbean-centred health information, and how it expanded from print to digital to meet changing audience needs.

That evolution, she said, eventually inspired the launch of the U Health and Wellness Exposition – a space for interactive learning and community health advocacy.

Mungal cited examples of how small initiatives can spark meaningful change. “Nine years ago, in this very room, we brought together a group much like today’s to discuss medical tourism,” she recalled.

“Back then, very few local facilities had accreditation. Today, that number has grown and TT is steadily positioning itself as a viable medical tourism destination.”

She credited strategic partnerships, particularly with companies like Roche, for enabling the platform to tackle critical health issues. Last year, the expo hosted a panel on the role of innovation in managing NCDs – a conversation she described as “not just timely, but vital for our region.”

Turning to the role of government, Mungal said, “Real, lasting change requires leadership at the highest level. This is where a Ministry of Health can be truly instrumental – not just as a policymaker, but as a catalyst for cross-sector collaboration, setting national priorities, and ensuring that innovative solutions are not just discussed, but implemented.”

Mungal highlighted one of the expo’s most meaningful initiatives – the Youth Mental Health and Wellness Forum set for May 28.

That forum, in collaboration with St Augustine Private Hospital, will gather secondary school students for interactive sessions on environmental health, financial literacy, smoking and vaping risks, and stress management.

“If we want to support the next generation, we must find stronger, more intentional ways to connect education and health,” she said.

“Our youth deserve more than just information – they deserve empowerment, guidance, and the tools to build healthy, resilient lives.”