The Caribbean nation of Dominica’s health sector has marked a key milestone in its digital transformation journey, after the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) donated 20 computing devices to the country’s Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services. The contribution, comprising 15 laptops and 5 desktop computers, was made possible through joint resourcing from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, marking a tangible example of cross-regional development collaboration.
Officials from the Ministry confirmed the new equipment will be deployed to advance three core health priorities across the island: strengthening infectious disease surveillance systems, upgrading national health data management processes, and expanding access to robust digital tools for frontline primary health care services. Most of the devices will be installed at local community health centers, the primary sites where Dominica’s frontline health teams collect and submit routine population health data.
Dr. Kyra Paul, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services, welcomed the donation and highlighted the critical gap it fills for the country’s public health system. “We are deeply grateful for PAHO’s sustained partnership and support for our health sector,” Dr. Paul stated in an official press release. “Reliable, real-time health data is non-negotiable when it comes to monitoring disease outbreaks, addressing emergent public health threats, and making timely, evidence-based policy and operational decisions.”
Dr. Paul added that the donation will also accelerate ongoing preparations for the upcoming launch of Dominica’s new Health Management Information System (HMIS), a centralized digital platform designed to modernize the country’s entire health record and data management ecosystem. For years, many local health centers have relied on slow, error-prone paper-based manual processes to track patient data and disease trends. “Shifting from manual record-keeping to a computer-based system will drive significant efficiency gains across every level of our health service,” she noted.
Nicole Slack-Liburd, PAHO Country Programme Specialist, emphasized that the donation aligns with the organization’s long-term commitment to strengthening health systems and expanding equitable access to quality care across the Caribbean. Beyond supporting broader primary health care improvement, the equipment will directly advance the country’s Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) program for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, a key maternal and child health priority for Dominica. “This contribution will not only support the EMTCT initiative but also lay critical groundwork for the rollout of the new HMIS, helping advance the full digital transformation of Dominica’s health system,” Slack-Liburd explained.
Hardware support is just one component of PAHO’s ongoing engagement with Dominica’s health sector. The organization has also prioritized capacity building, investing in regular training programs to upskill local health care workers in core digital and data competencies. A recent training focused on improving public health practitioners’ ability to generate, validate, analyze, and apply high-quality mortality data to guide public health decision-making.
Reggina Thomas, one participant in the recent mortality data training, shared that the program delivered immediate practical benefits for her daily work, while also strengthening cross-team collaboration within the Ministry. “This training has not only made my own data analysis and workflow processes more efficient, it has also given me the skills to share knowledge with my colleagues,” Thomas said. “That collective capacity will help us improve data processes across our department and the entire Ministry.” She echoed Dr. Paul’s gratitude for PAHO’s consistent investment in Dominica’s health sector, noting that the organization has been a reliable partner for advancing local public health goals.
For the Ministry of Health, upgrading national health information systems, enhancing disease surveillance capacity, and accelerating full digital transformation remain top strategic priorities, all aligned with the core goal of delivering improved health outcomes for all citizens across Dominica.