All articles tagged with #saint lucia
A court in Saint Lucia has declared laws criminalizing homosexuality unconstitutional, marking a significant victory for LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean and making it the fifth country in the region to decriminalize same-sex activity. The ruling highlights the importance of judicial intervention in protecting human rights where legislation has failed, although homosexuality remains illegal in some neighboring countries.
Saint Lucia has nearly 1,000 people living with HIV, with a decrease in new cases in 2023 compared to the previous year. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George revealed that 57% of those living with HIV are male, and there were 26 new HIV cases diagnosed in 2023, representing a 32% decrease from 2022. Additionally, there was a spike in Leprosy cases, prompting the development of a draft national action plan to eliminate the disease, which includes an educational public health campaign, intensive contact tracing, re-training of health care workers, increased testing, and more aggressive treatment.
Saint Lucia has recorded 450 cases of COVID-19 to date, despite a generally low testing rate, according to the Ministry of Health. The rise in cases is attributed to the Eris variant, which has been found in the US and UK. While there has been an increase in patients with respiratory symptoms, many individuals are doing COVID-19 tests at home, potentially leading to underreporting of cases. The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and encourages individuals to get tested and take preventative measures. Additionally, gastroenteritis cases are also on the rise in the country.