05/19/2026
A few weeks ago, I returned to Guyana for the first time in over a decade for important personal reasons. It was incredibly meaningful to see the progress and development happening in my birth country, and I felt immense pride witnessing many of the improvements firsthand.
What stood out even more, though, was the warmth and welcome I received throughout my visit; something I often remember and deeply miss about being back home.
During my trip, I had the privilege of giving a talk at the University of Guyana on the importance of health and science professionals being able to communicate their work effectively to broad and diverse audiences. This opportunity came thanks to a wonderful colleague I previously worked with on COVID-19 Q&A sessions at the university.
The students and staff who attended were exceptionally engaged, thoughtful, and welcoming. It was truly heartwarming to share knowledge and contribute, in a small way, to building science communication capacity back home. Thank you to Dr. Ruth Daniel and Professor Emanuel Cummings for being instrumental in making this talk possible and for such a kind welcome.
I also had the opportunity to attend a day of CARPHA Caribbean Public Health Agency meetings, which were taking place in Guyana at the time. President Irfaan Ali delivered opening remarks, and one message in particular resonated strongly with me and my current work in public health communication and community engagement: the importance of not only meeting people where they are, but ensuring our communications are respectful, appropriate, and culturally relevant.
Congratulations to the Government of Guyana, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, and the entire team who did a phenomenal job hosting CARPHA in Guyana.
I also appreciated learning more about the work of the Pandemic Fund from Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund, and Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). One of the biggest highlights for me was hearing about the community-based work happening across the Caribbean, including community-based participatory research approaches and projects supporting equity-deserving communities in places like Brazil, Curaçao, and Guyana.
It was also wonderful to reconnect with friends and colleagues, including Dr. Quacy Grant during my visit.
I left feeling incredibly grateful to witness the growth and momentum happening not only in Guyana, but across the Caribbean more broadly. It made me proud to see the trajectory of my birthplace and hopeful for the future.