The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) was initially established as a project in an attempt by the Region’s leaders to address, in an organised manner, the Environmental Health concerns of the people of the English-speaking Caribbean.

In 1979 the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Conference of Ministers Responsible for Health formally approved a Caribbean Environmental Health Strategy. As this Strategy provided for the establishment of CEHI, in 1988 the Institute became a legal entity with the deposit of the Instrument of Ratification of the CEHI Agreement by the required number of Governments. It was agreed by Member States that CEHI would be headquartered at facilities made available by the Government of Saint Lucia.

Today, CEHI has 16 Members States and remains dedicated to finding cost effective solutions to Environmental Health problems in our Member States.

The CARICOM Conference of Ministers Responsible for Health was the original governing body of the Institute with policy-making powers.

Since 1998, the CARICOM Council on Human & Social Development (COHSOD) has assumed responsibility for governance issues.

The Executive Director is responsible for the Administration of the Institute.