In observance of World Health Day 2025, Health Minister Moses Jn Baptiste has raised the alarm over Saint Lucia’s declining fertility rates and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening maternal and newborn health care.
This year’s theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” calls on global governments and health systems to take bold action to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths while improving the long-term health and well-being of women. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Jn Baptiste emphasized that Saint Lucia is not immune to global maternal health concerns.
“According to the World Health Organization, close to 300,000 women lose their lives each year due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications,” Jn Baptiste said. “Here in Saint Lucia, we are seeing worrisome trends with both maternal health outcomes and population dynamics.”
The Minister revealed that Saint Lucia’s total fertility rate has declined steadily over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2024, fertility among women aged 15 to 44 dropped from 1.58 to 1.13 births per 1,000 women—well below the replacement level of 2.1 required to sustain the population.
This decline has contributed to a significant drop in the total number of live births—from 1,902 in 2018 to 1,434 in recent years.
In response to these shifts, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has conducted a comprehensive perinatal audit to identify gaps in maternal and child health services. Based on the findings, several policy measures have been introduced to reinforce the maternal health program.
“These efforts include patient and community engagement initiatives designed to inform, educate, and empower women on health and pregnancy-related matters,” Jn Baptiste noted. “We are encouraging better health-seeking behaviors during pregnancy to ensure safer outcomes for mothers and their babies.”
While the government continues to address urgent maternal health challenges, the Minister also called for a national conversation on the long-term demographic and economic implications of declining fertility.
“We must reflect on what this means for our future labor force, for our schools, our healthcare system, and our economy,” he said. “Healthy beginnings are not only about births, but about building a foundation for a strong, sustainable society.”
As World Health Day 2025 shines a light on maternal and newborn health, Saint Lucia joins the global call for renewed investment in women’s health and reproductive care, and a deeper commitment to securing hopeful futures for generations to come.
