The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. Leprosy is curable and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability. Other notable infections, like HIV, have recorded a decline.

“Saint Lucia has noted 11 new cases of leprosy, which represents a 120% increase from 2020-2023,” CMO Sharon Belmar-George disclosed. To combat this, she says the Ministry will embark on a public education drive to educate both patients and health officials on treatment measures.

“A national action plan has been drafted towards the elimination of leprosy on-island. This includes a national campaign, intensive contact tracing in the affected communities, the retraining of healthcare workers to facilitate early detection and analysis, increase in-country testing and more aggressive and intensive treatment,” she said.

Another infection of concern is HIV, which experienced a decline in diagnosed cases in 2023.

“26 cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2023, which represents a 32% decrease from 2022. 65% of the cases were male. There are currently 992 persons living with HIV in Saint Lucia, of which 57% are male.”

The Caribbean has the highest incidence rate of reported AIDS cases in the Americas.  With between 350,000 and 590,000 Caribbean people living with HIV/AIDS, the region is facing a generalised epidemic