Integrated Health Outreach (IHO), a Caribbean-based non-governmental organization, in partnership with Eco Supplier, has launched a new regional project to strengthen socially inclusive and climate-resilient education infrastructure across Antigua and Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, and Saint Lucia.
Iho Partnership Eco Supplier
According to an IHO press release, the project — Socially Inclusive Strengthening of Climate-Resilient Infrastructure and Action in Caribbean Small Island Developing States(SIDS) — commenced in December 2025 and will be implemented over a 24-month period through December 2027.
IHO is the lead implementing organization, with project activities supported through a technical and implementation partnership with Eco Supplier. The project is funded by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) through its Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF). The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, and Saint Lucia, through their respective Ministries of Education and Finance and relevant national authorities, which have formally endorsed the initiative and are supporting project implementation, coordination, and alignment with national education and disaster resilience frameworks.
The Caribbean is among the most disaster-prone regions globally, with schools frequently exposed to hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and other hazards that disrupt learning and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. This IHO-led initiative responds to these challenges by supporting inclusive school vulnerability assessments, the development of school- and national-level disaster-resilient infrastructure plans, and capacity-building for education, infrastructure, and disaster-management stakeholders.
Across the three countries, the project will work directly with 20 primary and secondary schools, alongside government counterparts, engineers, planners, educators, and community stakeholders. A strong emphasis is placed on gender equality and social inclusion, ensuring that women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups are meaningfully engaged throughout planning and implementation.
“IHO is leading this initiative in close partnership with Eco Supplier and with the support of national governments,” said Dr. Nicola Bird, Executive Director of Integrated Health Outreach. “This collaborative approach ensures that the project delivers technically sound, socially inclusive, and government-aligned solutions that strengthen school resilience and protect education continuity in the face of climate and disaster risks.”
In addition to country-level implementation, the project will facilitate regional knowledge sharing among Caribbean Small Island Developing States, generating practical tools, data, and financing insights to support replication and scaling of disaster-resilient education infrastructure across the region.
Integrated Health Outreach extends its gratitude to the Governments of India, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK), and to the European Union (EU), for their financial support through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’s Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (CDRI IRAF).
