Addressing critical gaps in regional cancer prevention policy, Aviane Auguste, Ph.D., a member of the Vaughan A. Lewis Institute for Research & Innovation (VALIRI), joined regional experts, healthcare practitioners, and policymakers in Grenada from March 18 – 19 for the OECS Regional Workshop on the Development of a Cancer Prevention and Control Policy Framework.

This was really a great landmark conference for the OECS member states. It was an honor to represent the regional research community at this meeting and advocate consistently for academic excellence as a pillar on which we will build policies for cancer prevention and control. — Aviane Auguste, Ph.D, Epidemiologist and SALCC alumnus

Building on the scoping meeting held in October 2025, the workshop was convened by the Caribbean Cancer Portal (CCP) in collaboration with St. George's University (SGU), the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), and the Ministries of Health of the OECS Member States and supported by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

“This workshop is a historic event for the small island Caribbean States, creating the first comprehensive Caribbean Cancer Policy Framework for the OECS,” said Dr. Lindonne Telesford, Associate Professor at St. George’s University and Co-Founder of the Caribbean Cancer Portal.

Auguste further expressed that the workshop highlighted the glaring deficiency in indigenous research on cancer. He views both SALCC and VALIRI as playing an increasingly important role in filling that gap.

“We speak a lot about evidence-based policy but there is little conversation on where that evidence will come from. There is great opportunity to build internationally recognised expertise on cancer control by developing our research ecosystems. VALIRI and SALCC should definitely be leveraged to drive this development and support these kinds of regional policy initiatives,” he said.