In a significant move to reshape national health priorities, Saint Lucia’s Minister for Health and Wellness Moses Jn Baptiste has declared nutrition the central pillar of governmental policy. The minister’s directive emerged during a high-level strategic convening at Bay Gardens Hotel, where he instructed senior ministry officials, hospital executives, and regional partners to integrate nutritional considerations into all governmental operations.
The ministerial gathering, designed to synchronize objectives for the 2026/2027 period, served as a platform for establishing cohesive understanding of the ministry’s mandate. Permanent Secretary Jenny Daniel characterized the meeting as providing crucial insights into the ministry’s accomplishments over the past quadrennium, current healthcare conditions in Saint Lucia, and policy formulations required for future strategic development.
Minister Jn Baptiste emphasized the critical importance of interdepartmental collaboration, stating: “We intend to collaborate with all ministries and government departments to ensure nutritional excellence permeates every facet of our work.” The minister further elaborated on governmental objectives, revealing that campaign manifesto commitments would serve as the definitive blueprint for the health sector’s trajectory over the upcoming five-year period.
Among the pressing challenges confronting the ministry remains the complex relocation of St Jude Hospital, identified as one of the most urgent logistical undertakings for the current administrative term. Minister Jn Baptiste expressed particular satisfaction with the substantive discussions that characterized the strategic session, indicating robust engagement from all participating stakeholders.