In a major development for the public health infrastructure, the World Health Organisation has named the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory a National Influenza Centre and a member of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).The designation, initially announced in October 2023, was celebrated on Monday in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean’s WHO regional office.The laboratory, which opened in 2018, has been playing a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. One of the first Caribbean labs to acquire test kits and reagents for COVID-19 detection, it has processed over 800 000 COVID-19 tests in the last three years. It also features programmes for global salmonella and influenza surveillance, HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections examinations, and water and air quality monitoring.PAHO’s representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Amalia Del Riego, said the lab’s new role will help Barbados better understand the flu, track its changes, and protect the population through more effective vaccines and treatment.