Saint Lucia and the world continue to build resilience following the devastation caused to individual health systems by the coronavirus pandemic of 2019. The recent pandemic exposed deficiencies within the health systems of many countries.

With assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank, the island hosted participants from countries within the region, for a two-day Capacity Building and Resilience Workshop. In response to the short comings of the health sector during that period, the Government of Saint Lucia embarked on various strategies focused on capacity building. One such strategy included partnering with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Investment Bank (IEB), through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), to host a two-day regional workshop.

CDB’s Division Chief of Projects, Ms. Therese Turner-Jones said coming out of the COVID period, the organization sees it necessary to improve regional health.

Representative for the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, European Investment Bank (EIB), Ms. Kristina Eisele said although the main focus for the region over the years has been on climate action, the devastation caused by the pandemic led to a change of plans.

Sant Lucia’s Minister for Health, Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste encouraged participants to aim for excellence at the workshop. The minister said the post-COVID period has created opportunities to improve knowledge and devise solutions, by drawing from the experiences within the region.

The two-day session focused on building capacity and resilience in the health sector to respond to COVID-19, and building public health system resilience with the region.