Frontline Health Providers in SVG Receive Training on Rape and STI Management

By S.Browne. Updated 6:50 p.m., Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

At least 20 frontline clinical staff in St Vincent and the Grenadines from the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment began receiving training on Monday at a five-day workshop on the clinical management of rape and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

This initiative is funded by Global Affairs Canada as part of the Build Back Equal (BBE) Project. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency is leading the training.

This is part of a broader and more patient-centred approach to sexual and reproductive healthcare and will take place at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment in Kingstown.

The five-day workshop consists of two main modules: three days of training on the Clinical Management of Rape and two days on STI Management.

In addition to the training, there was a handover of sexual and reproductive (SRH) commodities by UNFPA, as part of the BBE Project, to further support the Ministry’s sexual and reproductive health services initiatives.

At the official launching and handover ceremony, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Mrs Nerissa Gittens-McMillan, expressed gratitude to Global Affairs Canada for funding this initiative and UNFPA for their ongoing technical support and partnership.

“These efforts will help us better serve our communities, especially women, girls, and other vulnerable groups by ensuring that services offered are updated, comprehensive, accessible, and grounded in all international best practices,” she said. She further stated, “These trainings directly support our Ministry’s mandate to provide high-quality survivor-centred care.”

She urged participants to take the training seriously, noting: “At some point in time, you may be called upon to utilise the information that you gain in this workshop, and we do expect that, should such an opportunity arise, that you would remember what you have learned and be able to utilise that knowledge to improve the life of the individual in front of you at that particular time.”

She went on to outline the anticipated outcomes of the training: “We expect to see improvement in patient outcomes, a reduction in the incidence of STIs, and a more robust and compassionate response to cases of gender-based violence. I urge all participants to take the training seriously, as the skills you will gain and the products you will now have access to will be instrumental in achieving these goals.”

Ms Abebech Assefa, Counsellor (Development) & Head of Cooperation, Eastern Caribbean, High Commission of Canada, encouraged trainees to view these sessions not as a technical exercise but as catalysts that empower providers, restore dignity to survivors, and deepen a shared commitment to building a healthier, safer, and more equitable future.

Funded by the Government of Canada (through Global Affairs), the BBE Project aims to improve the economic and social equality for women and girls by taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the barriers women face to sexual and reproductive health services and products, economic empowerment, and providing increased sustainable opportunities for their economic growth.

Jointly implemented by UNFPA, the BBE Project is currently running from 2022 to 2026 in the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia.

This information was sourced from a press release sent to us by Philcol Jeffers and the Agency for Public Information.