PAHO and OECS advance joint action to improve access to essential medicines and health technologies in the Eastern Caribbean

Castries, Saint Lucia, 28 May 2026 (PAHO/WHO) - The Joint Planning Workshop of the Technical Working Group between the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States - Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (OECS-PPS) officially opened with strong calls for collaboration and sustained access to safe, effective, and quality-assured medicines and health technologies for Eastern Caribbean Small Island Developing States.

Attending the opening ceremony were representatives from OECS Member States, including health leaders, procurement specialists, pharmacists, and technical experts from the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds, including the PAHO Strategic Fund, and the OECS-PPS.

Ms. Sarah Calixte, Senior Pharmacist, Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition, Saint Lucia

Ms. Sarah Calixte, Senior Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition of Saint Lucia, delivered remarks on behalf of the Ministry. She emphasized the importance of collaboration and sustainable solutions, noting that:

"Access to essential medicines is considered a basic human right, yet for many people around the world it remains a dream. By taking this collaborative approach, we will closely examine and identify barriers to improving access to essential medicines, including affordability and supply chain infrastructure."

From right, Mr. Francis Burnett, Interim Head of the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service and Ms. Sarah Calixte

Mr. Francis Burnett, Interim Head of the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service, highlighted the importance of practical implementation and monitoring progress, while underscoring the need to maximize value through strategic collaboration.

"There are many non-price benefits that are often undervalued and may be of even greater significance than price reductions. Given the limited human and system resources in our region, we must be strategic and ensure that we deliver as much as we can."

Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, provided remarks virtually

In her remarks, Dr. Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, explained how collaboration between PAHO's Strategic Fund and the OECS-PPS can leverage their combined strengths to address supply chain vulnerabilities and improve access to medicines.

"The OECS has a long and important history of cooperation in pharmaceutical procurement through the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service. This experience demonstrates the value of pooled approaches, shared systems, and collective action to improve availability and affordability across Member States. PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds are also among the most enduring examples of Pan-American solidarity in public health. Their origins date back to the late 1970s, when countries in the Americas recognized that working together could improve timely access to quality vaccines at the lowest possible cost."

Hon. Philip Telesford, Minister of Health of Grenada giving the feature address

Highlighting the human impact of access to medicines, Hon. Philip Telesford, Minister of Health of Grenada and Chair of the OECS Council of Health Ministers, stressed:

"Access to medicines is not a bureaucratic matter, it is a matter of life. When a patient living with diabetes cannot find insulin, or when a child suffering from a preventable illness goes untreated because pharmacy shelves stand empty, these are not mere statistics. These are our neighbours, our family members, our people. Their struggles demand more than sympathy, they demand action."

The Minister also underscored the unique challenges faced by Small Island Developing States, including limited market leverage, fragile supply chains, and the constant threat of hurricanes and other climate-related shocks that can disrupt distribution overnight, factors that contribute to recurrent stockouts and elevated prices.

The establishment of the PAHO - OECS-PPS Technical Working Group originated from a strategic call by OECS Ministers of Health during the 2024 PAHO Directing Council, led by then Chair of the OECS Council of Health Ministers, Minister Cassanni Laville of Dominica. He advocated for a structured mechanism to strengthen collaboration between PAHO and the OECS-PPS in improving access to medicines and health technologies.

The proposal subsequently advanced through technical consultations and culminated in a presentation by Dr Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries at the OECS-PPS Policy Board at its meeting in Grenada in October 2025, held under the leadership of Minister Philip Telesford. The agreements reached following this presentation were to:

• Review and endorse the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Technical Working Group (TWG) between PAHO and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)-Pharmaceutical Service (OECS-PPS).
• Establish the TWG during the first quarter of 2026 and develop an action plan for 2026-2027.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress made with the action plan through annual reports to the Policy Board.

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