Saint Lucia Marks International Universal Health Coverage Day

As the world prepared to celebrate International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day on Thursday, Saint Lucia’s health leaders emphasised the critical role of governments in achieving accessible, affordable, and equitable healthcare for all. 

At a conference held on Wednesday,  Dr. Alisha D. Eugene-Ford, Director of the Universal Health Coverage Unit, and  Moses Jn Baptiste, Minister of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, shared important updates on the island’s health initiatives and reinforced the government’s commitment to improving healthcare for all  citizens.

The theme for this year’s UHC Day is “Health: It’s on the government,” a message that resonated strongly with both health officials. 

The theme highlights the importance of political leadership and decision-making in securing quality healthcare for everyone. 

Dr. Eugene-Ford pointed out that “Health is our most precious asset,” and stressed that good health allows individuals to reach their potential and contributes to community strength.

Dr. Eugene-Ford underscored that the attainment of the highest standard of health is a fundamental right of every human being, regardless of race, religion, political beliefs, or socio-economic conditions.

 She explained that “Governments have a role to play in building good health by ensuring policies, frameworks, and standards for health and well-being [are] in place and acted on.” The Director of UHC also pointed out the essential need for governments to ensure that “the cost of using services do not put people at risk of financial harm.”

As she discussed Saint Lucia’s ongoing efforts in improving healthcare, Dr. Eugene-Ford noted the importance of improving the well-being of families, noting that it determines the health of the next generation and impacts the future health challenges for the country. She further highlighted the “need to ensure that each financial decision positively impacts patient care by improving the quality of services provided and maintaining accessibility and affordability for patients.”

Dr. Eugene-Ford also shared a number of key initiatives recently launched in Saint Lucia, including Maternal and Child Health Services, which have seen significant participation from the population. 

Since its launch in June 2023, over 1,871 pregnant women received laboratory tests under UHC, and 2,955 ultrasound examinations were conducted for pregnant women by November 2024. Another milestone, the Performance-Based Financing (PBF) Pilot Project, began in August 2023 and has already provided healthcare services to 25,168 persons across 17 wellness centers.

The Ministry of Health has also made strides in tackling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and diabetes, with 1,837 individuals treated for hypertension and 1,030 treated for diabetes as part of the PBF initiative. Additionally, the Ministry is taking steps toward cervical cancer screening and HPV testing, transitioning from conventional pap smears to liquid-based cytology. This shift, Dr. Eugene-Ford noted, is a “positive thrust forward” in efforts to “eradicate cervical cancer” in Saint Lucia.

Other services being expanded include mental health care, with a new mental health clinic that was re-launched on December 2, offering PSA testing for men and access to urology services at the primary care level.

Health Minister  Moses Jn Baptiste stressed the importance of reflection at this time, asking the critical question: “Are we increasing the quality of health care? Are we increasing access to healthcare services? Are we ensuring that there is equity, so there’s no discrimination, and are we ensuring that we reduce the out-of-pocket costs to our clients?” He pointed out that governments must prioritise these basic pillars of UHC to make substantial progress.

He also reflected on the contributions of health professionals and policy makers, saying, “We stand on the shoulders of many professionals. We stand on the shoulders of many, many policy makers before our time who have placed universal health coverage on the front burner.”

Looking to the future, the  Minister discussed the formation of a dedicated UHC unit within the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs, aimed at coordinating efforts and aligning all health activities with the goal of universal health coverage.