PAHO supports planning and orientation meeting with Barbados’ new Minister of Health and Wellness

Bridgetown, Barbados, 15 April 2026 (PAHO/WHO) - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean hosted Barbados' newly appointed Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator the Honourable Lisa Cummins, for a high-level planning meeting focused on PAHO's Biennial Work Plan (BWP) 2026-2027, along with an orientation on PAHO and its governance.

The meeting brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, including Permanent Secretary Mr. Wayne Webster and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kenneth George, alongside the PAHO/WHO country team. Discussions centered on ongoing and planned technical cooperation activities and the process for jointly defining national priorities under the upcoming biennium.

In welcoming the Minister and her team, the PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Amalia Del Riego, outlined PAHO's role as the world's oldest international public health organization and the WHO Regional Office for the Americas, and provided an overview of their mandates, governance, and strategic priorities. She also highlighted Barbados' active engagement in PAHO and WHO governing bodies. She further outlined PAHO's Strategic Plan 2026-2031 and its implementation through the Biennial Work Plan, and emphasized the importance of Biennial Work Plan meetings which are held at the start of each planning cycle. These meetings support a structured, collaborative process to identify priorities, key interventions, and country-specific needs between PAHO and its Member States.

PAHO technical teams provided updates on cooperation delivered across key thematic areas, including health systems strengthening, programmatic initiatives, and disaster management and response, highlighting areas of alignment with Barbados' national health priorities.

In her opening remarks, Minister Cummins reaffirmed Barbados' longstanding commitment to PAHO, WHO, and multilateral cooperation, noting the importance of strong partnerships at this critical time for global and regional health.

"This is my first time in the capacity as Minister of Health and Wellness, and I want to thank PAHO and the team for the warm welcome I've received,"

The Minister emphasized the importance of a whole-system approach to health, describing her mandate as ensuring that the health sector functions as a connected ecosystem, linking prevention, care, and wellness, with people at the center. She highlighted opportunities for collaboration across HIV, disease prevention, maternal health, noncommunicable diseases, and broader wellness initiatives.

Minister Cummins also underscored the value of technical cooperation already provided by PAHO, including support to public health services, antimicrobial resistance initiatives, pharmaceutical systems strengthening, and collaboration with national institutions such as the Best Dos Santos Public Health Laboratory and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She expressed confidence that continued partnership would help build a resilient, fit-for-purpose health system for Barbados.

The meeting marked an important first engagement between the new Minister and PAHO/WHO and set the foundation for continued collaboration under the BWP 2026-2027, aligning technical cooperation with Barbados' evolving health priorities.