Saint Lucia has taken a bold step toward enhancing its national health security with the official launch of a National Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) System, designed to ensure early detection and rapid response to emerging public health threats.
The new system, introduced by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, integrates non-traditional sources of information such as community reports, social media, and local observations to identify possible health events before they escalate. It complements the country’s existing structured surveillance systems by capturing signals from informal channels.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, described the launch as a milestone in Saint Lucia’s ongoing efforts to improve disease surveillance and responsiveness.
“In a world of increased travel and trade, health threats can emerge at any time,” she said. “This system enables us to act on public concerns received through informal channels, often before traditional surveillance systems pick them up. While we’ve done this on a small scale in the past, we now have an organized, structured platform to do it more efficiently.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jenny Daniel, also praised the initiative and emphasized the importance of collective responsibility.
“Surveillance doesn’t start in a clinic or lab,” she noted. “It begins in our homes, school yards, markets, farms—where early signs of public health threats appear. This system empowers us to act faster and more effectively, protecting both human and animal health as well as the environment.”
The implementation of the Event-Based Surveillance System was made possible with the technical support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). A workshop was hosted prior to the launch to familiarize key stakeholders with the system’s operation and its relevance across sectors.
Dr. Prabjot Singh, PAHO Advisor for Health Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, commended Saint Lucia for its innovation and leadership in digital public health tools.
“Saint Lucia is the first Caribbean country to implement a digital platform specifically for event-based surveillance,” he said. “You are setting an example for the region with this proactive and technologically advanced approach to health monitoring.”
Stakeholders trained during the preparatory workshop represented diverse sectors, including health, education, agriculture, environment, disaster management, border control, civil society, and the media—highlighting the system’s cross-sectoral reach.
With the launch of the Event-Based Surveillance System, Saint Lucia has strengthened its frontline defense against potential health threats, underscoring its commitment to early detection, timely intervention, and safeguarding public well-being.