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Basseterre, Saint Kitts (October 28, 2024) – In a major push for healthier indoor environments, Saint Kitts and Nevis held its first-ever National Dialogue on Indoor Air Quality on October 23, 2024, at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. Key stakeholders gathered to tackle an invisible but pressing issue: mold and other pollutants impacting indoor air quality across the Federation.

Dr. Steve Whittaker, a renowned Caribbean air quality expert, delivered a powerful keynote address, sharing his personal challenges with asthma and allergies as a reminder of the health impacts caused by poor air quality. “Runny noses, watery eyes, and tight chests are all-too-common symptoms,” Dr. Whittaker emphasized, urging attendees to address pollutants that often infiltrate homes and buildings in warm climates.

Dr. Whittaker linked indoor air quality directly to outdoor pollutants, made worse by climate change and reliance on temperature control systems. He pinpointed mold, chemical fumes, and cooking emissions as major contributors to the problem and called for more local research and action. The dialogue is set to lay the groundwork for a National Indoor Air Quality Task Force and policy, marking a vital step toward cleaner, healthier indoor spaces across Saint Kitts and Nevis.