Saint Lucian Health Delegation attends 53rd Meeting of COHSOD Health, 63rd Directing Council of PAHO

A Saint Lucian delegation comprising Minister for Health, Wellness and Nutrition Moses Jn. Baptiste and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, attended the 53rd meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD)-Health by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) from September 25-26, 2026 and the 63rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) from September 28 to October 2, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The main objectives of the COHSOD were to provide updates on on-going health initiatives to discuss human resources for health and pandemic preparedness and discuss and make decisions on health policies.

During the meeting of the COHSOD, discussions were held on advancements in health security for emergency responses, renewed global action on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Caribbean action plan on climate change and health and the regional technical committee for cancer control with harmonized cancer treatment guidelines.

Jn. Baptiste actively participated and made important interventions recognizing the efforts of CARPHA in the development of early warning surveillance systems and disease prevention measures, the importance of digital health to the health sector and national interventions towards the control of NCDs.

The Directing Council facilitated the discussion on the strengthening of health emergencies and risk management for health security, the plan of action on antimicrobial resistance 2027-2031 and the integrated management strategy for the prevention and control of arboviral diseases 2026-2035 among other significant topics.

The Saint Lucian delegation took the opportunity to participate in several bilateral meetings including a meeting with Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, the Director of the PAHO and Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO). Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste highlighted the areas of priority for health development in Saint Lucia during the discussion.

Jn. Baptiste and Dr. Alisha Eugene-Ford, Director of Universal Health Coverage presented to selected delegates on the Saint Lucian Health Compass at a dinner meeting coordinated by the World Bank, which was well received.

The recommendations made at the 53rd meeting of the COHSOD and the 63rd Directing Council will be presented to the Health Strategic team for discussion and implementation where needed.