The Central Board of Health (CBH) continues to grapple with a critical shortage of trained and certified officers, a situation that is putting immense pressure on the small team responsible for maintaining public health and sanitation standards across Antigua and Barbuda.

According to Director of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant, the CBH is currently operating with only six trained officers, although the agency requires at least 35 to function effectively.

“The CBH has been doing miraculous work in trying to ensure that the country remains as pristine as possible, but with limited resources, they can only do so much,” Merchant said. “There is an urgent need to get them properly trained and certified.”

The CBH plays a crucial role in protecting public health and safety. Its officers are tasked with disease surveillance, food safety inspections, sanitation oversight, disaster response support, and vector control, among other essential duties. They are often the first line of defense in preventing outbreaks and ensuring that communities remain clean and safe, particularly in densely populated or flood-prone areas.

Despite these extensive responsibilities, the agency has been stretched thin, with its small staff juggling multiple roles and covering far more ground than originally intended. Merchant noted that this has not gone unnoticed by the government, which recognizes the dedication of the officers who continue to serve under such challenging circumstances.

Merchant revealed that while some individuals have been receiving training, a major hurdle remains — a lack of certification. Without official credentials, many of these trainees cannot be deployed to perform the full range of CBH duties, limiting the board’s operational capacity.

In an effort to address this gap, the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) has stepped in to help. Under a new initiative, ABCAS will conduct training and certification programs for several CBH officers, bringing them up to recognized regional and international standards.

The collaboration is expected to significantly strengthen the CBH’s workforce over the coming months, ensuring that officers are both technically competent and formally qualified to carry out inspections, enforce sanitation regulations, and respond effectively to public health threats.

Public health experts have long advocated for increased investment in the CBH, noting that sanitation and disease prevention are foundational to national well-being.

As Antigua and Barbuda continues to modernize its health infrastructure, from waste management systems to vector control programs, strengthening the human resources behind these efforts is now seen as an urgent national priority.

Once the certification process is complete, officials are optimistic that the CBH will be better positioned to maintain the high standards of sanitation and disease control that the public expects and deserves.