Chief Medical Officer attends Regional Tourism and Health Steering Committee and Stakeholders Meeting in the Bahamas

By Ministry of Health

Saint Lucia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar- George, represented the island at the third Regional Tourism and Health Steering Committee and Stakeholders Meeting of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in the Bahamas on April 24th, 2023. The Chief Medical Officer presented on the status of the Tourism and Health Programme (THP) in Saint Lucia,  noting that,  “The THP program in Saint Lucia has allowed for greater stakeholder interaction between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism, increased collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the hospitality industry, greater awareness of the benefits of instituting public health measures within the hospitality and service industry, decreased incidence of illnesses that are characteristic to this sector and the provision of certification and training thereby improving the standards and quality of service delivery.”

CARPHA has executed the Regional Tourism and Health Program (THP) which is an innovative program addressing the health, food safety and environmental sanitation threats to tourism, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of countries to prepare and respond to public health threats, enhancing health and safety of nationals and visitors. The objective is to improve the quality, competitiveness and resilience of the tourism sector.

“Saint Lucia launched the THP program in September 2021 and has since enlisted 64 registered entities. Capacity was built in COVID-19/Infectious Disease Prevention and Control with 1,253 individuals across Health and Tourism receiving training, and according to Dr. Belmar-George, “The increased awareness and reduced population risk was achieved through receiving Cruise Ship Alerts for COVID-19, with over 98% sent in less than 24 hours. 13 local facilities have since received the HST award (Caribbean Travelers Health Assurance Award for Healthier Safer Tourism).”

CARPHA’s third Regional Tourism and Health Steering Committee and Stakeholders Meeting was convened to facilitate the stakeholders’ review of the outcomes and impact of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded regional Tourism Health Information Monitoring and Response Systems and Standards to Enhance Sustainable Tourism (THMRS). Other objectives included the sustainable financing for continued implementation of the THP and consultations on enhancing advocacy and promotion to encourage THP recognition, implementation and impact.

Apart from the regional Chief Medical Officers, the Minister for Health and Wellness of the Bahamas, Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, Corporate Director Resorts Operations Mr. Jeremy Jones, representatives from the Caribbean Tourism Association, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and UK Health Security Agency were also in attendance.