The Environmental Health Division of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition has partnered with residents of Anse La Raye to conduct an intensive source reduction and community cleanup campaign aimed at eliminating mosquito and rodent breeding sites. This initiative was undertaken in response to growing concerns over an increase in mosquito and vector breeding sites identified throughout the community and forms part of ongoing efforts to reduce vector-borne disease risks and promote a healthier environment.

In the headlines: Saint Lucia launches its 47th anniversary of independence, and renowned economist Sir Tim Besley explores how to make economic policies work.

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Newly appointed Minister for Equity, Labour, Gender, Elderly Affairs, Social Justice and Consumer Welfare, Hon. Emma Hippolyte, today undertook official visits to Cornerstone Humanitarian Society and the Saint Lucia Crisis Centre, as part of a broader familiarization and sensitization exercise across her expanded ministerial portfolio.

The visits form part of the Minister’s ongoing effort to gain a comprehensive, ground-level understanding of the institutions, programmes, and services that now fall under the remit of the Ministry of Equity, with a view to strengthening coordination, improving service delivery, and fostering seamless synergies across the social protection sector.

At a time when education systems across the region are being called to adapt, innovate, and respond to rapidly changing global realities, Saint Lucia’s education leadership is taking a proactive step forward. Today, the Minister for Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation met with school principals from across the island, underscoring a renewed commitment to collaboration, accountability, and student-centred transformation.

In the headlines: Saint Lucia Jazz 2026 is reimagined as a lifestyle, and; the Saint Lucia Fire Service receives radiation sensing devices.

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In 2025, the health system expanded Universal Health Coverage, improved health facilities, managed many health programs, health conditions ranging from infectious diseases, chronic non-communicable diseases and international, regional and local collaborations and Medical Missions. From the summary of the health status of the country, some of the health data analyzed are below:

• The Total Fertility rate (TFR) per woman of child bearing age is 1.06 compared to 1.54 in 2016.
• The Ministry of Health noted a continued reduction in COVID-19 cases from 3.4 per 10, 000 in 2024 to 2.0 per 10, 000 in 2025.
• A total of 276 cases of gastroenteritis were registered by the sentinel surveillance system. This represents an 85% decrease in cases from the previous year (2024).
• In 2025, 26 new cases of HIV were diagnosed. However, it represents a 2.6% decrease from 2024.
• The Ministry of Health noted a significant 91% decrease in Dengue Fever in 2025 as compared to 2024, where 432 cases were recorded.
• Saint Lucia recorded 16 new cases of Leprosy which was eight times as many cases seen in the previous year 2024. The observed increase in cases was as a result of targeted active case finding, carried out during a skin camp aimed at detecting previously unidentified leprosy cases.
• Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases continue to be a significant source of mortality in Saint Lucia accounting for over 80% of all deaths, with cancers, cerebrovascular disease/stroke, heart disease and Diabetes Mellitus dominating as the top 4 causes of death respectively for the last 10 years.

In the headlines: The Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival boosts local talent, and; cruise tourism numbers trend toward a record-breaking year.

For details on these stories and more, visit www.govt.lc