The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean is working to reinforce the framework for the health care of young people in Saint Lucia. The agency presented a report entitled Standards for Quality Healthcare Services for Adolescents in Saint Lucia to stakeholders including Honourable Moses Jn Baptiste, Minister for Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs on Monday, December 10, 2024.
The document results from months of rigorous research and discussion with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health, civil society partners including the Saint Lucia Planned Parenthood Association, and adolescents themselves. The guidance was developed in the context of the Build Back Equal project, which is funded by Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented by UN Women and UNFPA in Saint Lucia, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
De-Jane Gibbons, UNFPA Liaison Officer for Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) said the goal was to develop guidance in support of a standards-driven approach to improve the quality of healthcare for adolescents.
“It is important to have a framework to guide the rollout of health services for adolescents and young people. Their health matters and we must ensure no one is left behind. The guidance document, built on World Health Organization standards, will provide healthcare providers in Saint Lucia with a common foundation for addressing these services. It’s also commendable that young people were involved in the development of these standards, ensuring a collaborative approach that reflects the unique needs of each country that is implementing the Build Back Equal project. UNFPA is delighted to have partnered with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs on this initiative. Government leadership and partnership are crucial for the successful rollout of these standards and for ensuring the health and well-being of young people in Saint Lucia.”
As the report moves to the implementation phase, Minister Jn Baptiste has committed to sharing the report with Honorable Prime Minister Philip J Pierre and the rest of his Cabinet colleagues. UNFPA will continue to offer technical guidance as needed during the rollout. Dr Gail Gajadhar, Senior Medical Officer of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, led the process from the Government side and expressed her pleasure.
“I would say we’re happy, because you know it was a journey to get from a draft to where we are right now, and into an official handover. And to know that the Ministry has agreed with the implementation. So those are big steps because we have committed to it. So once we’ve committed to something you know we must go ahead and do what we have committed to do.”
The guidelines were developed under the broader Build Back Equal (BBE) project, which is funded by Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented by UN Women and UNFPA. Inter alia, it is meant to increase access to comprehensive social protection packages, create more relatable referral pathways and develop more robust healthcare systems, especially sexual and reproductive health services for women and youth in Saint Lucia, Grenada, Commonwealth of Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Following the handover of the standards, a consultation was held on the adaptation of the World Health Organisation Clinical Management of Rape and Intimate Partner Violence (CMR-IPV) protocol for Saint Lucia. Approximately 20 local healthcare professionals took part in a discussion facilitated by Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator Dr Rosilawati ‘Rossy’ Anggraini.
“The prevalence of GBV in general and sexual violence is quite high in the Caribbean,” said Dr Anggraini. “And that’s why UNFPA has made a commitment to support countries under the BBE project. Last year we did five days of Clinical Management of Rape and Intimate Partner Violence (CMR-IPV) training for health providers from BBE project countries, including St Lucia in Guyana. It was followed with the training of trainers, for three days, with the expectation that after the training it will be cascaded. And then we’ll do more training in-country.
“And then just last week I facilitated another CMR training in Barbados, and one participant from Saint Lucia also participated. So we have more people trained on CMM/IPV, and then hopefully with the SOP development they will be able to implement the knowledge and everything that they got from the training and can provide quality services for the survivors.”
Representing the civil society stakeholders, Emelda Fortune St Prix, Financial and Operations Officer at Saint Lucia Planned Parenthood Association Inc, had high praise for the outcomes of the months-long process, noting the importance of having clear direction especially when dealing with marginalized and vulnerable individuals. She thanked UNFPA for ensuring a high level of inclusion, which she said would redound to better implementation.
Article Credits – Terry Finisterre