St. George’s University has been designated by the World Health Organization as a Collaborating Center (WHOCC) for Occupational and Environmental Health. The WHOCC is housed in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and is directed by an Associate Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health. There are over 800 institutions operating as collaborating centers in over 80 countries. The SGU WHOCC supports the implementation of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Plan of Action on Workers Health. SGU was commissioned as a Collaborating Center in 2012, as the only one in the English-speaking Caribbean. The Center was re-designated for the period 2026 to 2030.
SGU faculty and students will strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders across the Caribbean region to promote due diligence and best practices for environmental and occupational health. In the 2026 - 2030 designation period, the Center’s work will focus on three key areas: (1) identifying the gaps in occupational safety and health regulations in Caribbean Member States to strengthen compliance with policies and technical standards for surveillance and control of conditions that jeopardize workers' health; (2) providing training on occupational health and safety; and (3) identifying occupational diseases protocols or guidelines pertinent to the Caribbean Member States and that could be adapted to its context.