Castries, Saint Lucia, 21 February 2025 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently supported the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs in conducting a comprehensive costing exercise for Saint Lucia’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
An EPI costing exercise is a financial analysis designed to assess the costs associated with delivering vaccination services. It helps governments and stakeholders understand current spending, identify funding gaps, and plan for sustainable immunization financing.
The two-day workshop brought together 18 key stakeholders, including the EPI manager, senior nurses, health finance experts, health educators, planners, and an Information Technology (IT) representative from the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs. Also in attendance were the Senior Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, and a private pediatrician.
Participants were introduced to the background, vision, and current status of the EPI in Saint Lucia. They explored considerations for vaccine introduction, key indicators for evaluating immunization strategies, and methodologies for developing EPI expansion scenarios over the next five years.
Through interactive group sessions, participants developed and refined potential expansion scenarios, considering key factors such as immunization strategies, implementation timelines, cold chain operations and capacity, human resources, communication and public education.
At the end of the workshop, the following key areas were identified for EPI Expansion:
- Introduction of the hexavalent vaccine to strengthen immunization coverage.
- Incorporation of the pneumococcal vaccine into the routine schedule for all children and at-risk adults.
- Expansion of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to an older age group.
- Enhancement of immunization information systems, including monitoring, epidemiological surveillance, and surveillance of Events Supposedly Attributable to Vaccination or Immunization (ESAVI).
- Modernization of cold chain infrastructure to improve vaccine storage and distribution.
- Strengthening education and communication efforts to increase public awareness and vaccine confidence and uptake.
The insights gathered from this exercise will guide Saint Lucia’s immunization program over the next five years, ensuring a stronger, more sustainable, and efficient system for vaccine delivery.
