AGP Executive Report

Space & STEM: St. Kitts and Nevis crossed into space with a Nevis-built life sciences experiment launched aboard SSC Space’s SubOrbital Express-5 from Sweden, studying how microgravity affects genome architecture and gene expression. Digital Health: The government signed the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS) contract, with the NTRC and the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association tasked to design, stress-test, and commission the system to modernize care and protect sensitive health data. Water Security: Nevis is set to commission a new 500,000-gallon Stoney Hill storage tank, while St. Kitts continues drought response work including a new pipeline to boost supply to St. Peter’s. AI & Culture: Venetta J. Smithen’s “Island Tales” won second place in the Build Club “Women Who Build AI” Accelerator, spotlighting AI for Caribbean storytelling and literacy. Regional Tech & Safety: CARICOM IMPACS marked its 20-year mark, and Antigua’s crime lab is moving toward fingerprint upgrades and a criminal database. Education & Skills: UNESCO support will embed Education for Sustainable Development into St. Kitts and Nevis curricula starting Sept. 2026.

Space & STEM: St. Kitts and Nevis’ Nevis-built life sciences experiment flew on SSC Space’s SubOrbital Express-5 from Sweden, reaching 260 km and delivering microgravity research aimed at understanding how gravity shapes genome architecture and gene expression. Digital Health: The government signed a contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC partnering the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association to design, stress test, and commission the system for safer, more connected care. Water Security: Nevis is moving ahead with a new 500,000-gallon Stoney Hill storage tank, boosting redundancy as drought conditions persist. AI & Culture: Kittitian tech innovator Venetta J. Smithen won 2nd place in the global “Women Who Build AI” accelerator for “Island Tales,” an AI-powered interactive heritage story map. Regional Tourism Tech & Policy: Caribbean Week 2026 opened in New York with CTO leaders and ministers, including St. Kitts and Nevis, pushing resilience and connectivity for the tourism sector. Public Safety: A missing cruise ship hiker, Wang Zyuan, was found deceased on Mt. Liamuiga; authorities are investigating the circumstances.

Space & STEM: St. Kitts and Nevis crossed into space as a Nevis-built life sciences experiment launched aboard SSC Space’s SubOrbital Express mission from Sweden, aiming to study how gravity affects genome architecture and gene expression. Digital Health: The government signed a contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC and the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association tasked to design, test, and commission the system to modernise care and protect sensitive health data. Water Security: Nevis is moving ahead with a new 500,000-gallon Stoney Hill storage tank, while St. Kitts faces a drought warning and new pipeline work to boost supply to St. Peter’s. Electricity Leadership: Nevis appointed Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of NEVLEC, bringing long experience in the sector back to the island’s power utility. Education for Sustainability: With UNESCO support, St. Kitts and Nevis is integrating Education for Sustainable Development into the curriculum starting September 2026. Regional Tech & Safety: CARICOM IMPACS marked 20 years as regional security pressures rise, and a Junior Officers’ course in Guyana highlighted leadership, ethics, and information technology for modern policing. Women & Tech: St. Kitts and Nevis urged stronger digital inclusion for women and girls at the Inter-American Commission of Women, calling out barriers in STEM/ICT and online safety. International Recognition: Good Humans 268 continued climate and youth work on the global stage, representing Antigua and Barbuda at major environment and youth events.

Space Science: St. Kitts and Nevis crossed into space with a Nevis-built life sciences experiment launched from Sweden aboard SSC Space’s SubOrbital Express mission, aiming to study how gravity affects genome structure and gene expression. Digital Health: The government signed a contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC partnering with the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association for design, stress testing, and commissioning to modernise care and protect sensitive data. Water Security: Nevis is moving to boost potable supply with a new 500,000-gallon Stoney Hill storage tank, while St. Kitts issued a drought warning and installed a new water line to send extra water to St. Peter’s. Electricity Leadership: Nelson Ald Stapleton was confirmed as General Manager of NEVLEC, bringing long experience across NEVLEC and SKELEC. STEM Education: UNESCO support will help embed Education for Sustainable Development into the national curriculum starting Sept. 2026, with early pilots for Grades 3 and 5. Youth & Innovation: Tech Tank SKN launched as a youth tech competition for ages 14–18, pairing pitches with mentorship to grow local innovation pipelines.

Digital Health Upgrade: St. Kitts and Nevis has signed a contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC partnering with the local St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association to design, stress-test, and commission the system—aimed at better patient care and safer handling of sensitive health data. Water Security Push: Nevis is moving ahead with a new 500,000-gallon storage tank in Stoney Hill, replacing an older facility to boost redundancy, while St. Kitts continues drought-response work including a new water line to send extra supply to St. Peter’s. STEM and Space Biology: A historic St. Kitts and Nevis–Switzerland life sciences mission launched from Esrange Space Center, supporting STEM education and research capacity in Nevis. Education and Talent Abroad: Four nationals graduated from I-Shou University in Taiwan, including Joeline Williams, who earned two degrees. Youth Innovation: Tech Tank SKN was launched to mentor and challenge ages 14–18 with innovation pitches, prizes, and support for future tech founders. Regional Security Tech (Neighbor Watch): Antigua and Barbuda’s crime unit says fingerprint upgrades and a forensic lab are in the pipeline, alongside plans for a criminal database.

Space & STEM: St. Kitts and Nevis and Switzerland launched a historic space life-sciences mission from Sweden, aiming to boost STEM teaching and research capacity in Nevis through real-world space biology collaboration. Water Security (Nevis): The Nevis Island Administration is preparing to commission a new 500,000-gallon glass-fused potable water storage tank in Stoney Hill, replacing an older tank to add redundancy and strengthen supply for multiple communities. Water Security (St. Kitts): With drought conditions and below-normal rains, the government installed a new water line to send extra water from the Basseterre Valley pumping system toward St. Peter’s, with stabilisation work underway before it becomes operational. Digital Health: Saint Kitts and Nevis signed a contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), partnering the NTRC with the local Robotics Association to modernise patient care and health data handling. Regional Tech & Security: CARICOM IMPACS marked 20 years of operations amid rising border pressures, while Antigua and Barbuda moved toward fingerprint upgrades and a criminal database to strengthen forensic capability. Youth Innovation: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—building a pipeline of future Caribbean tech founders.

Water Security Upgrade (Nevis): The Nevis Island Administration is set to commission a new 500,000-gallon glass-fused potable water storage tank in Stoney Hill, replacing an older 270,000-gallon unit and boosting redundancy for communities across Nevis. Drought Response (St. Kitts): With below-normal rainfall and an El Niño-linked dry season, the government issued a drought warning and is pushing infrastructure fixes, including a new Basseterre Valley-to-St. Peter’s water line to add supply while crews reinforce pipeline sections. Digital Health Modernisation (St. Kitts & Nevis): A major healthcare tech step landed with the signing of the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS) contract, pairing the NTRC with the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association to design, test, and commission the system with PAHO input. Forensics Tech Push (Antigua, regional link): Antigua’s Crime Scene and Evidence Recovery Unit says fingerprint upgrades are coming, alongside moves toward a regional criminal database and a forensic lab—part of broader CARICOM IMPACS-linked security capacity. Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO): With UNESCO support, St. Kitts and Nevis plans to embed Education for Sustainable Development into the national curriculum starting Sept 2026, starting with Grade 3 and 5 pilots and scaling through secondary schools. Youth Innovation Pipeline (St. Kitts): Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch tech ideas, get mentorship, and compete—aiming to grow local innovation leadership.

Digital Health Modernisation: St. Kitts and Nevis signed the contract to develop and implement the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC partnering the local Robotics Association to design, stress test, and commission a system aimed at better patient care and safer data handling. Water Security & Climate Resilience: With a drought warning issued amid below-normal rainfall and El Niño-linked dry conditions, government crews installed a new water line to boost supply to St. Peter’s, part of roughly EC$100 million in water infrastructure upgrades. Regional Security Tech: CARICOM IMPACS marked its 20th year as regional borders face mounting threats, while a fingerprint upgrade push in the wider region points to stronger forensic capability and future database plans. Youth Innovation: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—building a pipeline for Caribbean tech founders. Education for Sustainability: UNESCO-backed Education for Sustainable Development is set to enter the national curriculum from Sept. 2026, starting with Grades 3 and 5. STEM & Inclusion: CIM delegates heard how digitalisation can empower women in tech and ICT—while warning about access gaps, harassment, and bias. Academic Spotlight: Joeline Williams graduated from Taiwan’s I-Shou University with two degrees, highlighting growing Kittitian and Nevisian impact abroad.

National Digital Health: St. Kitts and Nevis signed the contract to build and deploy the National Digital Health Information System (NDHIS), with the NTRC partnering with the local Robotics Association to design, develop, stress-test, and commission the platform—aimed at better patient care, smoother operations, and safer data handling. Education for Sustainable Development: With UNESCO support, the Federation is set to embed Education for Sustainable Development into the curriculum from September 2026, starting with Grades 3 and 5 and expanding through secondary schools by 2030. Water Security Tech & Infrastructure: As drought deepens, government installed a new water line to boost supply to St. Peter’s, reinforcing pipeline sections and urging strict conservation while a drought warning remains in effect. Nevis Power Leadership: Nelson Ald Stapleton was confirmed as General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company Limited, bringing 20 years of electricity experience and engineering training. Youth Innovation: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—building a pipeline of future Caribbean tech founders. Regional Public Health Security: CARICOM, UN, and UNDP rolled out a crime-and-violence prevention framework using a public health lens, launched in Basseterre. Women in Digital Spaces: The Federation highlighted ongoing barriers to women’s full participation in digital transformation while outlining initiatives to advance gender equality at the Inter-American Commission of Women.

Women in Tech & Digital Safety: St. Kitts and Nevis’ OAS ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin told the 48th Inter-American Commission of Women that digitalisation must include women fully—calling out gaps in STEM/ICT access, online harassment, algorithmic bias, and cybersecurity literacy. Water Security Push: With drought worsening, the government issued a drought warning and is investing nearly EC$100 million in climate-resilient water infrastructure, including a new Basseterre Valley-to-St. Peter’s waterline and conservation calls as El Niño-linked dry conditions loom. Nevis Power Leadership: Nevis named Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company Limited, effective June 1, citing his 20 years in the sector and focus on building local leadership. Regional Health Tech & Medicines Access: PAHO/WHO and OECS-PPS will convene a workshop in Saint Lucia to improve access to safe medicines and health technologies across the Eastern Caribbean, including pooled procurement and stronger supply systems. Public Health Approach to Crime: CARICOM, UN, and UNDP launched a diagnostic and action framework to tackle crime and violence through prevention-oriented, cross-sector public health governance. Hantavirus Update: Reports on quarantined hantavirus patients highlight experimental treatment being shared with EU countries and ongoing debate over strict surveillance requirements for those exposed.

Water Security Push: St. Kitts and Nevis issued a drought warning as below-normal rains and El Niño conditions threaten supply, with the government investing nearly EC$100 million in climate-resilient water upgrades, including a new Basseterre Valley-to-St. Peter’s waterline now being stabilized and set to deliver more water soon. Power Leadership: Nevis appointed Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company Limited, effective June 1, backing local engineering leadership with a focus on energy efficiency and renewables. Health Tech Access: PAHO/WHO and OECS-PPS will convene an Eastern Caribbean workshop in Saint Lucia to strengthen access to safe medicines and health technologies, launching a regional technical working group to improve procurement, forecasting, and pooled supply. Digital Government: St. Kitts’ Digital Transformation Unit is coordinating government modernization with standards for data, information management, and security to cut duplication and boost efficiency. Crime as Public Health: CARICOM, UN, and UNDP launched a diagnostic document and action framework in Basseterre to tackle crime and violence through prevention-oriented, cross-sector public health governance. Regional Forensics Funding: The US announced $8M for Caribbean forensic labs to improve synthetic drug detection and training, including support for fentanyl testing and faster, court-admissible results. Youth Innovation: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch tech ideas, get mentorship, and compete—aiming to build a pipeline of future Caribbean innovators. Public Health Research Spotlight: A CARPHA conference presentation in Guyana highlighted research on substance use during pregnancy and links to low birth weight, bringing regional maternal health questions into focus. Global Health Alert: An experimental favipiravir supply was reportedly made available to EU countries for hantavirus cases, while WHO says the wider public risk remains low.

Water Security in St. Peter’s: Prime Minister Terrance Drew toured the Needmust waterline project as crews install a new pipeline to boost supply from the Basseterre Valley pumping system, with stabilisation work underway and a drought warning issued amid below-normal rainfall and El Niño-linked dry conditions. Nevis Power Leadership: Nevis Premier Mark Brantley confirmed Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of NEVLEC effective June 1, highlighting his 20 years in the electricity sector and training in energy efficiency and renewables. Eastern Caribbean Medicines Access: PAHO/WHO and OECS-PPS will convene a 28–29 May workshop in Saint Lucia to launch a technical working group focused on improving access to safe, effective health technologies through better procurement, forecasting, and pooled purchasing. Regional Crime Prevention via Public Health: CARICOM, UN, and UNDP launched the CARICOM–UNDP Diagnostic Document and Action Framework in Basseterre, pushing prevention-oriented, cross-sector approaches and stressing that political will is key to turning policy into action. Youth Tech & AI Skills: Tech Tank SKN was launched to back 14–18-year-old innovators, while regional leaders urge faster AI workforce training as DeVry expands its AI Bridge to Brilliance programme across the Caribbean. Health Tech Research Spotlight: A CARPHA conference presentation from doctoral student Khalisha Halley examined substance use during pregnancy and links to low birth weight using real-world records. Global Health Watch: An experimental favipiravir supply was reportedly made available to EU countries for case-by-case use as hantavirus monitoring continues after a cruise-related incident.

Water Security in St. Peter’s: Prime Minister Terrance Drew toured the Needmust area as crews installed a new water line to boost supply from the Basseterre Valley pumping system, with concrete stabilisation underway before the pipeline goes live. Drought Warning: Officials issued a formal drought warning, citing below-average rainfall and an El Niño-driven push toward warmer, drier conditions, urging strict water conservation. Nevis Power Leadership: Nevis named Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of NEVLEC effective June 1, promoting a locally trained engineer with 20 years in the electricity sector. Health Tech Access: PAHO/WHO and OECS-PPS will convene a 28–29 May workshop in Saint Lucia to strengthen access to safe medicines and health technologies across the Eastern Caribbean, including pooled procurement and supply planning. Youth Innovation Push: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—part of a wider push for youth-led tech and economic empowerment. Regional Crime Prevention (Public Health Lens): CARICOM, UN, and UNDP rolled out a Diagnostic Document and Action Framework in Basseterre, stressing prevention and “political will” to move crime and violence strategies beyond policing alone.

Water Security Push: St. Kitts and Nevis issued a formal drought warning as below-average rains and El Niño-linked dry conditions bite, with officials moving to strengthen supply to St. Peter’s via a new waterline from the Basseterre Valley pumping system and an EC$100 million water infrastructure push. Regional Health Tech Access: PAHO/WHO and OECS-PPS will convene a workshop in Saint Lucia to improve access to safe, effective medicines and health technologies, including a new PAHO/WHO–OECS Technical Working Group. Crime Prevention as Public Health: CARICOM, the UN and UNDP launched a Diagnostic Document and Framework for Action in Basseterre, urging prevention-focused, cross-sector approaches to crime and violence and stressing political will. Digital Government Modernisation: St. Kitts and Nevis’ Digital Transformation Unit is coordinating government digital reform with standards for data, security, and efficiency. Nevis Power Leadership: Nelson Ald Stapleton was confirmed General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company, bringing long utility experience and a focus on developing local talent. Youth Innovation & Skills: Tech Tank SKN was launched to back ages 14–18 with mentorship and prizes, while Prime Minister Drew highlighted youth innovation and economic empowerment through validation workshops. AI Workforce Call: Caribbean leaders urged faster AI education and training as DeVry expands its Bridge to Brilliance programme across the region. Diaspora Cultural Diplomacy: Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin argued the diaspora should be treated as “strategic capital,” including cultural diplomacy and tech know-how, to support development.

Power & Utilities Leadership: Nevis has confirmed Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of NEVLEC, promoting a long-time electricity professional with degrees in electronic engineering technology and energy efficiency/renewables. Youth Innovation & Tech Skills: Tech Tank SKN launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—while Prime Minister Terrance Drew backed youth innovation through a validation workshop, highlighting local robotics and AI wins. AI Workforce Push: Caribbean business leaders and DeVry’s Bridge to Brilliance expansion are urging faster AI education and training so workers can keep up with digital change. Digital Government Modernisation: St. Kitts’ Digital Transformation Unit is coordinating government tech upgrades with standards for data, information management, and security. Public Health Approach to Crime: CARICOM, UN, and UNDP rolled out a regional diagnostic and action framework in Basseterre, framing crime and violence prevention as a cross-sector public health effort. Forensics & Security Tech: The US announced $8M for Caribbean forensic labs to boost synthetic drug detection, training, and regional lab cooperation.

Utilities Leadership: Nevis has confirmed Nelson Ald Stapleton as General Manager of NEVLEC, bringing a homegrown, 20-year electricity career back to the island after years across NEVLEC and SKELEC. Public Health Watch: A passenger who tested positive for hantavirus weeks after leaving an infected cruise ship has been moved to a high-level isolation unit in Madrid, while WHO says the wider risk remains low and no larger outbreak is showing. Youth & Innovation: Tech Tank SKN is launched to help ages 14–18 pitch ideas, get mentorship, and compete—while Prime Minister Terrance Drew pushes youth innovation and economic empowerment at a validation workshop. Crime Prevention Push: CARICOM, the UN and UNDP unveiled a regional diagnostic and action framework to treat crime and violence as a public health issue, with Drew stressing political will to turn prevention into action. Digital Identity: St. Kitts is rolling out public sensitisation for a new eID card, starting with seniors.