Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, January 2026 (PAHO) — The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health, and Energy has successfully completed the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), conducted with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Carried out during the last quarter of 2025, the surveys represent an important milestone in strengthening national efforts to address the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adolescents, by producing quality data on tobacco and alcohol use, dietary behaviors, mental health, and physical activity, among other topics. The initiative was coordinated by the Ministry’s Nutrition Unit, led by Chief Nutritionist, Ms. Nicole France, with support from trained data collectors and the Ministry of Education.

Field teams visited schools across the mainland, as well as the islands of Canouan and Union Island, ensuring national representation of secondary school students. Along with administering the questionnaires, the teams collected students’ weight and height measurements to better assess the overall health profile of this age group. School principals and teachers played a key role in facilitating the process while minimizing disruptions to classroom instruction.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Simone Keizer-Beache, underscored the importance of this work.

“Having updated information on the health of our young people is essential for effective policy and planning. The completion of these surveys marks a critical step in strengthening our national response to NCDs.”

PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr Amalia Del Riego, highlighted the Organization’s continued partnership with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“This initiative reflects PAHO’s ongoing commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents across the Eastern Caribbean. The data collected will guide targeted action to reduce the burden of NCDs and related risk factors.”

Survey findings are expected later in 2026. Once analyzed, they will provide evidence to guide updated NCD prevention and health promotion strategies within schools and communities.

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines expressed appreciation to PAHO for their continued support in enabling these internationally standardized school-based surveys.

SOURCE: Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health, and Energy