Canada-funded UNFPA workshop enhances frontline healthcare providers in Dominica’s efforts to prevent and control STIs

Over twenty frontline healthcare professionals from Dominica’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Social Services have enhanced their ability to prevent and treat Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) following a comprehensive two-day training session. This workshop focused on the prevention and management of STIs and was made possible through funding from Canada’s Global Affairs Department as part of the Build Back Equal Initiative. A joint press release shared that the training, which kicked off on Monday, October 20, 2025, was facilitated by UNFPA, the United Nations agency specializing in sexual and reproductive health.

During the event’s opening, Honourable Kent Edwards, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Social Services, delivered the keynote speech. He emphasized that the collaboration involving Dominica’s government, Global Affairs Canada’s Build Back Equal Program, UNFPA, and other United Nations agencies has played a vital role in reinforcing the nation’s healthcare infrastructure and promoting gender equality.

Describing the partnership as being “invaluable,” he highlighted the importance of the training in strengthening Dominica’s capacity for disease prevention, early detection, and effective STI management—especially those infections that can greatly influence reproductive health outcomes.

Honourable Edwards also reportedly pointed out that addressing STIs goes beyond clinical concerns, intersecting with broader issues such as healthcare access, social stigma, gender equality, and adolescent health. He added that these factors are critical to achieving sustainable development goals. He also stressed that the insights and experiences of healthcare providers, along with ongoing cooperation among government entities, development partners, and civil society organizations, are essential to modernize healthcare services, bridge access gaps, and build resilience within the health system.

In her remarks, Thu Trang Nguyen, the Second Secretary for Development at Global Affairs Canada, congratulated Dominica for its leadership in health priorities and ongoing efforts to develop its human capital, as outlined in the media release.

She  remarked that“these knowledge transfer sessions build a stronger, more responsive health system”.

Nguyen also underscored that the sexual and reproductive health supplies procured through the Build Back Equal Project, with UNFPA’s support, are “life-saving tools that uphold dignity, expand choice and build resilience for individuals,
families and communities.”

It is reported that Jenny Karlsen, Deputy Director and Officer-in-Charge at UNFPA’s Caribbean Sub-Regional Office, highlighted the significance of partnerships involving the government, the Dominica Planned Parenthood Association, and civil society organizations. She emphasized the necessity for both public and private sectors to increase investments in women’s health issues—whether in workplaces, homes, or communities. She pointed to advocacy efforts around menopause, describing it as a vital aspect of women’s health that is often shrouded in silence, stigma, and misinformation. Changing the narrative around menopause is crucial to restoring dignity and recognizing sexual and reproductive health as fundamental human rights, asserted the deputy director.

Mrs. Karlsen also praised the government’s initiative in establishing the Sexual and Reproductive and Health Rights Committee, viewing it as a practical mechanism to ensure the sustainability of healthcare reforms and the achievement of long-term health outcomes.

Concluding the official opening, UNFPA’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist, Mr. Michael Atim, presented a collection of sexual and reproductive health commodities to the Parliamentary Secretary. These supplies, procured under the Build Back Equal Project, were received on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Social Services.