Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, 14th July 2025 (PAHO) – Four days of intersectoral meetings in St. Kitts and Nevis brought together the Ministry of Health, other government agencies and PAHO to further the mission of increasing preparedness and strengthening health systems.
As part of the implementation of the Pandemic Fund Project in the twin island nation, the mission achieved the following overall objectives.
- Reviewed the status and advanced the implementation of the Pandemic Fund Project (PFP) in St. Kitts and Nevis, focusing on governance, laboratory strengthening, surveillance, human resources for health (HRH), and intersectoral One Health approaches.
- Facilitated intersectoral coordination between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, and other key stakeholders through meetings, technical sessions, and joint planning.
- Conducted field visits and assessments of key laboratory and information systems infrastructure in both St. Kitts and Nevis.
During the first day, the team engaged with personnel from health surveillance, environmental health, laboratory staff and finance, to gain a realistic understanding of the national priorities, the needs and the existing gaps as it relates to preparedness.
On day two it was over to Nevis. Following a courtesy call with Minister of Health for Nevis the Hon. Jahnel Nisbett, the team visited the laboratory, surveillance and IT departments to gauge the capacity and determine how to integrate the IT systems of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Discussions ensued with Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, on national health information systems to strengthen pandemic preparedness and routine surveillance on the third day of the mission.
Also on the third day, several officials met with PAHO, including Deputy Environmental Health Officer, Glenville Leader; Acting Permanent Secretary for Nevis, Latoya Jeffers; Medical Officer of Health in Nevis, Dr. Judy Nisbett; Epidemiologist for St. Kitts, Dr. Elizabeth Correa; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Miguel S. Flemming; and Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Kofi Sylvester. The group gathered as part of a stakeholder meeting of partners from FAO, PAHO, Ministry of Agriculture, Vet Services and Senior Health Officials from both islands. These entities form part of the existing One Health Committee that was established in 2024 to foster greater collaboration and linkages in early detection and mitigation of threats from zoonotic illnesses to humans.
The Pandemic Fund will continue to support the upcoming meetings of the One Health Committee to strengthen pandemic preparedness in all the related sectors (human health, vet, agriculture, laboratory and surveillance).
Day four brought together Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws and Acting Permanent Secretary Curtis Martin. There was also a visit with a Ross University Veterinary School team and opportunities for collaboration as it relates to zoonotic disease surveillance and integrated One Health research were discussed.
By the conclusion of the mission, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC), Dr. Amalia Del Riego, was satisfied with the achievements and applauded the efforts of personnel. “The team’s dedication and hard work in terms of the preliminary work and onsite meetings and assessments, were all part of ensuring that St. Kitts and Nevis receives the support and resources required to guarantee the smooth implementation of the Pandemic Fund Project.”
