Strengthening Port Health Surveillance and Preparedness Through Stakeholder Training

Saint Lucia is taking significant steps to enhance its public health services and effectively manage crises.

Recently, the Environmental Health Division within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition hosted a port health stakeholder training aimed at bolstering the island’s capacity to prevent, detect, communicate, and respond to public health threats at air and sea ports of entry.

The training convened representatives from the Environmental Health Division, Customs and Excise Department, Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority, and Immigration Department.

Together, they reviewed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to port health functions in response to public health challenges.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George praised the initiative to enhance port health capacity, emphasizing the necessity for continuous training and multi-agency cooperation.

“It is critical to ensure that every agency and stakeholder is consistently updated on the protocols to follow in the event of a suspected threat,” she stated.

“This is why Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are vital. They provide a common framework for action, especially during high-pressure situations, but these protocols are only effective when the personnel responsible for implementing them fully understand and practice them while recognizing how their roles connect with those of other agencies,” she added.

Dr. Belmar-George underscored the importance of strengthened collaboration, multi-agency coordination, and clearer communication for effective preparedness and response to public health threats.

“The workshop also reiterates that preparedness is a shared responsibility,” she noted. “Our ports must remain safe, secure, resilient, and capable of facilitating the continued movement of people and goods while safeguarding public health. This necessitates ongoing collaboration, rather than working together solely in times of emergency.”

The port health stakeholder training covered topics such as disease surveillance, compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR), and effective response to public health emergencies.

The session included presentations, open discussions, and tabletop simulation exercises designed to help stakeholders practice coordinated responses during public health emergencies at ports of entry.