PAHO supports capacity building in Infection Prevention and Control and Environmental Hygiene in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 15 September 2025 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) supported a three-day capacity building exercise on essential Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Environmental Hygiene for the prevention of infections in healthcare facilities in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from September 9-11, 2025.

The mission began with an IPC assessment tour of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. The team included Dr. Stephen Nurse-Findley, Training Facilitator and PAHO/WHO Advisor for Communicable Disease Control and Elimination, Trinidad and Tobago; Sister CherylAnn Noel, IPC Nurse; Kim Byron, Health Security Specialist and Katrina Smith PAHO Country Program Specialist for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Areas visited included the Accident and Emergency Department, maternity ward, inpatient wards, housekeeping, laundry, and the morgue. During the tour, the team engaged with staff on IPC practices related to waste management, cleaning agents, hand hygiene, donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE), and workflow processes.

On the second day, approximately 36 healthcare workers and staff from the laundry, morgue, housekeeping, male attendants (orderlies), gardening and nursing assistants participated in an in-service training session designed to strengthen knowledge of key environmental hygiene principles. The training covered four modules:

• Basic concepts of environmental hygiene

• Best practices in environmental cleaning

• Cleaning and hygiene resources

• Linen and waste management

The third day featured practical, hands-on training at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Participants were tasked with demonstrating their new knowledge and skills by teaching others through skits, role plays, demonstrations, or presentations. Divided into six working groups, each team presented on a different IPC or environmental hygiene topic, reinforcing the principle of "training the trainers."

PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr. Amalia Del Riego said, "This initiative reflects PAHO's ongoing commitment to strengthening health security and infection prevention measures across the Eastern Caribbean, helping to ensure safer healthcare environments for patients, staff, and communities."