The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) supported a three-day capacity building exercise on essential Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Environmental Hygiene in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from September 9–11, 2025. The initiative aimed to strengthen infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities across the country.
The mission began with an IPC assessment tour of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, led by Dr. Stephen Nurse-Findley, Sister CherylAnn Noel, Kim Byron, and Katrina Smith. During the tour, the team visited key areas including the Accident and Emergency Department, maternity ward, inpatient wards, housekeeping, laundry, and the morgue. Staff were engaged on IPC practices related to waste management, cleaning agents, hand hygiene, proper donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE), and workflow processes.
On the second day, approximately 36 healthcare workers and support staff—including personnel from laundry, morgue, housekeeping, gardening, and nursing—participated in an in-service training session. The training focused on environmental hygiene principles through four modules covering basic concepts, best practices in cleaning, use of hygiene resources, and linen and waste management.
The third day emphasized practical, hands-on training at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Participants demonstrated their newly acquired knowledge and skills by teaching others through skits, role plays, demonstrations, and presentations. Divided into six working groups, each team presented on different IPC or environmental hygiene topics, reinforcing the “training the trainers” principle.
Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, highlighted that the initiative reflects PAHO’s commitment to strengthening health security and ensuring safer healthcare environments for patients, staff, and communities.
This capacity building exercise was a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and PAHO, funded by the Pandemic Fund project for Eastern Caribbean Countries, with additional support from the Caribbean Development Bank.
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