August 20, 2025. Pointe Seraphine, Castries, St. Lucia -At least 20 of Saint Lucia’s frontline clinical staff from the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs are benefitting from a five-day workshop on the Clinical Management of Rape and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Prevention & Management funded by Global Affairs Canada as part of the Build Back Equal Project. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, is leading the training.
(l to r) Ms. Juliette Cassius, Principal Nursing Officer of the Ministry and Dr. Gail Gajadhar, Senior Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elder Affairs, with participants of Clinical Management of Rape and Prevention and Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections photo with clinical professionals from the Ministry and with Mr. Ogwuche Odo, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH)/Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Specialist, UNFPA Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS (far right)
Minister of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, The Honourable Moses Jn. Baptiste delivered the Feature Address and thanked members of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, especially the clinical staff in “working hard to ensure that sexual and reproductive health is always at the forefront” of priorities and commitment to the people of Saint Lucia.
He noted that advances in technology and the expanded access to “information and knowledge” present a new layer of challenges and opportunities for medical professionals, especially when dealing with the youth.
Emphasizing the need to continually transform the healthcare sector, Minister Jn. Baptiste highlighted that young people interact more in virtual spaces than they do in physical spaces. He encouraged those gathered to leverage technology and ‘virtual spaces’ to enhance information sharing, “evoke empathy” and to further develop the “softer skills” of young people.
In her remarks, Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Dr. Gail Gajadhar highlighted the significance of the workshop. “This week represents an important capacity building exercise for both the management of sexually transmitted infections and clinical management of rape.” One of the outcomes of the workshop will be improved service delivery and care of patients, “especially in a polyclinic setting thus reducing the burden on the hospital emergency services.”
Ernest Nobel, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs remarked that the Ministry is “grateful for the opportunities that have been provided and continue to be provided through the funding by Global Affairs Canada and the collaboration of UNFPA and UN Women under the umbrella of the Build Back Equal Project.” Encouraging participants to take full advantage of training, Mr. Nobel linked the training to increasing and improving the capacity of the Ministry “to respond, to manage affected persons”.
In her remarks, Liaison Officer, Sub-Regional Office of the Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS, De-Jane Gibbons, who attended virtually, noted the government’s keen interest in the knowledge to be gained from the Workshop as testament of “...commitment of the Government to the sexual health and reproductive rights of the people of Saint Lucia.” Looking ahead, she reiterated the commitment of UNFPA through the Build Back Equal Project to support the Government of St. Lucia in the roll-out of the approved “Standards for Quality Healthcare Services for Adolescents”. She also encouraged the approval and adoption of St. Lucia’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and further committed UNFPA’s support to its roll-out.
Upon conclusion of the official opening of the workshop, Ogwuche Odo, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH)/Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Specialist, UNFPA Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS, presented Minister Jn. Baptiste with a number of essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) commodities. These commodities were procured through the generous support of the Build Back Equal project with funding from the Government of Canada.
The Build Back Equal Project & Global Affairs Canada
Funded by the Government of Canada (through Global Affairs), the Build Back Equal (BBE) project aims to improve the economic and social equality for women and girls by taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the barriers women face to sexual reproductive health services and products, economic empowerment and providing increased sustainable opportunities for their economic growth.
Jointly implemented by UN Women and UNFPA, the BBE project is currently running from 2022 to 2026 in the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.
