The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Thursday, December 4, 2025—The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GA‑CDRC) at The University of the West Indies, and the Small Arms Survey are pleased to announce the release of their seminal Report, Pathway to Policy: Firearms Trafficking and Public Health in the Caribbean.
This collaborative Report provides new detailed data and analysis on the complex issues underpinning firearm‑related violence and trafficking in the Caribbean, and proposes data‑driven policy recommendations that create pathways to effective policies. Selected findings from the Report include:
- The Caribbean continues to suffer from high rates of gun violence, with the situation deteriorating over time and trends varying by jurisdiction. The proportion of homicides perpetrated with firearms increased substantially to reach 86% in 2023–24, partly due to the deteriorating conditions in Haiti.
- Maritime consignments from the United States are a primary vector for illicit trafficking, with procurement clustered in small southern areas, primarily in Florida. Seizures of rifles—especially AR‑ and AK‑pattern models—have risen in recent years, but still comprise a small percentage of all seized firearms.
- The average direct medical costs of treating patients with gunshot wounds greatly exceed annual healthcare expenditures per capita, as well as the costs of care for patients injured by other types of weapons. Firearm‑related violence continues to divert scarce public resources toward dealing with the impacts of violence—resources that could otherwise be invested in prevention, education, and development.
The Report draws from the unique multi‑sectoral partnership among CARICOM IMPACS, CARPHA, the GA‑CDRC, and the Small Arms Survey to examine regional trends in the nature and scope of violence and in firearms trafficking—including the main types and sources of illicit weapons—and presents updated estimates of the costs of firearm‑related injuries in The Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica.
“This report demonstrates how academic research, when aligned with regional security and health priorities, can drive actionable policy. The UWI is proud to contribute evidence‑based insights that support a collective vision of a safer, healthier Caribbean.” — Professor Simon Anderson, Director, George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, The UWI
“These insights help move the region from problem‑diagnosis to system‑wide, results‑oriented action.”
— Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director, CARICOM IMPACS
“The pathway forward requires harmonized data, shared accountability, and a firm commitment to treating gun violence as both a security and public health priority.” — Dr Mark Downes, Director, Small Arms Survey
“These research findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen health systems, invest in real‑time injury surveillance systems, and ensure that public health is fully integrated into violence prevention and response efforts across the Caribbean.” — Dr Lisa Indar, Executive Director, CARPHA
The full Report is now available for download at smallarmssurvey.org.
About The University of the West Indies
The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years. From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.
The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.
Learn more at www.uwi.edu.
