Caribbean News
CARPHA Receives High Praises from Member States for its Pandemic Response
#TrinidadandTobago, April 11, 2022 – Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) from across the Caribbean were high in praises for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on the leadership role it played, and continues to play in the Region’s COVID-19 response. This, as CARPHA hosted its first face-to-face meeting, since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, two years ago.
23 CMOs (18 in person and 5 virtually), met for two days from April 06 – 07 at the Trinidad Hilton. They collaborated and examined optimal ways of working and responding to the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and the resultant effects on the health status of the CARICOM. CARPHA’s regional and international development partners were also present at the meeting, with representatives from the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM Secretariat.
CARPHA Executive Director, Dr Joy St John acknowledged that “people are experiencing COVID fatigue, which can make it difficult for them to pay attention to any discussion about COVID-19, even if it is one that will protect them from illness”. She explained, “With the relaxation of public health measures, people may feel that the Pandemic is over, and that the need for vaccination is also over”. However, she was quick to add that this is not the case. Dr. St. John then encouraged Member States to exercise vigilance so we can progress safely through this phase of the Pandemic.
In addition, Dr. St. John revealed that CARPHA is currently in discussions with the Clinton Health Access Initiative to assist where there are weakened supply chains for medications, and to support improved access to affordable tests and treatments, including those for COVID-19. She also highlighted CARPHA’s partnership with the Japan-Caricom Friendship and Cooperation Fund and the PAHO/Government of Canada, which will provide necessary funding for public education and health promotion campaigns to counteract misinformation and increase vaccine uptake.
Dr. St. John also informed CMOs of the progress that CARPHA has made in discussions with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) towards improving its capacity for whole genome sequencing services, both at the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory and in 2
specific Member States. Other key points of discussion at the meeting included the potential impact of Long Covid on the Region, the need for increased routine surveillance of communicable diseases, and the need for the re-opening of the tourism and education sectors in a safe and sustainable manner.
Release: CARPHA
Castries, March 2025. Saint Lucia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring human rights for all.
This was the collective assertion, as over 20 national stakeholders participated in a two-day national Human Rights workshop. This initiative was hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Caribbean office, in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s satellite office in Saint Lucia, and the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs. 
The workshop, was designed to enhance awareness of the International Human Rights System, including treaty bodies and human rights mechanisms; build capacity of government officials and civil society members in data gathering and human rights reporting; and to highlight the role that respective agencies and their constituents play within this system. The Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs is the focal agency for Human Rights in Saint Lucia.
In welcoming participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, noted that advancing human rights was a shared responsibility. “Government must enact policies and safeguard rights. Civil society must continue to advocate and mobilize. The private sector must embrace inclusive practices. Communities must challenge discrimination and uphold the dignity of every individual,” She urged stakeholders to use the workshop as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and commit to concrete action that will make human rights a lived reality for all in Saint Lucia. “Together, we can build a society, where justice, equality and inclusion are not just aspirations but everyday realities”, she stated.
A key objective of the workshop was to reactivate and strengthen the capacity of Saint Lucia’s National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, which was established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs serves as the Chair and Secretariat of the Committee, which comprises representatives from various government ministries. The committee is responsible for analyzing the human rights situation at the national level and collaborates to report on recommendations aligned with Saint Lucai’s national priorities. The active
functioning of the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights is crucial for promoting and protecting human rights.
Reflecting on the utility of the workshop, Ms. Bynta Ernest, the representative from the Department of Gender Affairs on the National Human Rights Committee noted that the session was essential to the Committee’s revitalization and to demonstrating its importance in advancing human rights in Saint Lucia. “The practical sessions towards reporting on the recommendations from the last Universal periodic Review (UPR) were also very useful to kick-start the process towards meeting our October 2025 UPR reporting deadline,” she added.
In fulfillment of Saint Lucia’s human rights related reporting obligations and deadlines, workshop participants prepared a draft plan of action to devise next steps to advance Saint Lucia’s human rights agenda.
The workshop was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, from March 5-6, 2025. Participants included representatives from departments of External Affairs, Health, Education, Labor, Justice, Human Services, Gender Affairs, Immigration, Equity, Economic Development, the National Statistical Office, the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
2nd insert: Bynta Ernest, Gender Affairs
Kingston, Jamaica, March 10, 2025 – The Government has significantly increased investments in healthcare and should another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island, the country will be better equipped to deal with it, according to Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Speaking at the unveiling of a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died while tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, today (March 10), at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew, the Prime Minister said out of a commitment to strengthen the healthcare system and to strengthen the healthcare workforce, the Government instituted the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship in 2024.
“We are investing $2.5 billion to support 607 students pursuing studies in medical technology, nursing, biomedical engineering, and other critical health-related fields,” he said, adding that the fund is ensuring the building of a robust pipeline of professionals “dedicated to service in the health sector.
“This is a solid commitment of how the Government is dealing with building resilience in the system, supporting our professionals, and at the same time ensuring that we can deliver healthcare with care,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that while July has been earmarked to recognise the “selfless contribution of those who carried us through the crisis, more needs to be done”.
“Our appreciation cannot be confined to a single month or a single event. It must be reflected in how we value and support our healthcare professionals every single day. To the families of the fallen, I know that no words can fill the space left, especially for your loved ones,” Dr.
Holness said.
The Prime Minister underscored that the legacies of the healthcare workers live on in the patients they treated, the lives they touched, and now in the monument that has been erected.
“Let us commit to a Jamaica where those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are themselves cared for. Let us also commit to upholding the values these healthcare workers have embodied – care, compassion, resilience and unity. In their action and sacrifice, they made a choice,” the Prime Minister said.
March 10 marks the fifth anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the country, and the fourth year since the start of the recovery with the administration of vaccines.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
-
News5 days agoTurks and Caicos Advances Virtual Asset Regulation with Capacity-Building Workshop
-
Health5 days agoColombian Medical Team saves North Caicos Boy from rare throat disorder
-
News5 days agoDepartment of Tourism Regulations Engages Clement Howell High School Students in Immersive Tourism Education Experience
-
Health1 week agoMinistry of Health Encourages Early Detection on World Kidney Day
-
Government6 days agoSwearing-in of the 30th Canadian Ministry led by Mark Carney, New Prime Minister
-
News5 days agoBusinesses Invited to Name Events at the Turks & Caicos National High School Track & Field Championships
-
Bahamas News6 days agoCarnival Corporation Hosts Barbados Government Officials Aboard P&O Cruises’ Britannia to Showcase Environmental Stewardship
-
Bahamas News4 days agoBeyond the Mainsail: The Sailors of Sassie Sue and Patton Pride