By S.Browne. Updated 7:38 p.m., Saturday, July 4, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has implemented the Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance System (RIEWSS), a digital platform designed to strengthen the country’s ability to detect, monitor and respond to public health threats.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy announced the development in a press statement issued on Friday, July 3, 2026. The Ministry said the system was implemented with technical support from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) following an in-country mission from June 24 to June 30, 2026.
According to the Ministry, the implementation of RIEWSS enhances disease surveillance by providing timely and reliable data to support early warning, informed decision-making and coordinated public health action. The Ministry also said St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the first country in the Caribbean to successfully implement the system.
The announcement followed a high-level ministerial meeting hosted by the Ministry on June 29 and 30, which brought together technical experts, regional partners and key stakeholders to review the country’s progress in strengthening national and regional health surveillance systems.
The Ministry said the implementation of RIEWSS builds on discussions held during the Regional Health Security Workshop and is intended to improve the country’s capacity to detect and respond rapidly to public health threats.
According to the Ministry, the platform is expected to strengthen outbreak detection and response, improve emergency preparedness, enhance collaboration across sectors and support the resilience of the tourism industry by strengthening public health systems.
The Ministry said the implementation was supported through collaboration among the ministries responsible for health, tourism and national security, together with other government agencies and regional and international partners.
The Ministry said healthcare professionals and key stakeholders have been trained, the RIEWSS platform has been deployed, and surveillance modules for vessels, mass gatherings and vector-borne diseases are now in place. It added that ten tablets have also been provided to support the operation of the surveillance systems.
Officials said the next phase will focus on integrating real-time laboratory surveillance data into the platform, expanding access for additional users and introducing additional surveillance modules, including those related to One Health and antimicrobial resistance.
The Ministry said continued technical support from regional and international partners, together with sustained collaboration across sectors, will be essential to the platform’s long-term implementation.
In its statement, the Ministry said the implementation of RIEWSS reinforces St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ commitment to protecting public health through timely surveillance and rapid response while supporting evidence-based public health action in the country and across the Caribbean region.
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