WaterStep launches Jamaica disaster-preparedness project for public health facilities

WaterStep and Jamaican NGO Inspire and Serve are rolling out 320 BleachMakers across Jamaica to help hospitals, clinics and care facilities produce disinfectant on site before the next hurricane or flood. The project is being coordinated with the Ministry of Health & Wellness and is designed to reduce dependence on fragile supply chains during emergencies.

Why it matters: - The project gives Jamaica’s health system a local source of chlorine disinfectant during disasters, when supply chains can break down. - Hospitals, clinics and care facilities can use the equipment to support infection control, sanitation and patient safety without waiting for outside shipments. - The rollout is designed to strengthen preparedness across all four of Jamaica’s health regions.

What happened: - WaterStep announced “Clean Care Jamaica: Parish Preparedness Project” on October 15, 2026. - The partnership with Inspire and Serve will place 320 WaterStep BleachMakers across Jamaica. - Planning is being done with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health & Wellness. - The BleachMaker produces chlorine bleach from salt, water and electricity. - The equipment is intended for hospitals, health centres and care facilities.

The details: - 280 of the 320 units will go through the Ministry of Health & Wellness and Jamaica’s four Regional Health Authorities. - The units will reach public hospitals, community hospitals and high-volume health centres in all 14 parishes. - South East Regional Health Authority will receive 100 units for Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas, including major tertiary and specialist hospitals. - Western Regional Health Authority will receive 75 units for St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and Trelawny. - Southern Regional Health Authority will receive 60 units for Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth, including Chapelton Community Hospital. - North-East Regional Health Authority will receive 45 units for St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland, including Alexandria Community Hospital. - Inspire and Serve will use 20 additional units for homes and care facilities it has identified as needing support. - Another 20 units will stay in reserve for replacement needs and rapid deployment after a disaster. - Final quantities for each facility will be confirmed by the Ministry of Health & Wellness and the Regional Health Authorities. - Facility selection will be based on need, cleaning volume, storage capacity and operator readiness. - WaterStep will provide equipment and operator training. - Inspire and Serve will handle in-country coordination and support for the facilities it serves.

Between the lines: - Routing most of the equipment through Jamaica’s existing public health structure creates a single approval path and should make deployment easier to track. - The plan also leans on regional and parish management systems already in place, which may help keep the units where they are most needed. - WaterStep framed the effort as disaster readiness that must happen before the next storm, not after it. - Inspire and Serve’s role suggests the project is built around local relationships and facility-level knowledge, not just equipment delivery.

What’s next: - The Ministry of Health & Wellness and the Regional Health Authorities will finalize the facility-by-facility distribution. - WaterStep and Inspire and Serve will move ahead with training and on-the-ground coordination. - The Jamaica framework is expected to serve as a model for future deployments in Jamaica and potentially elsewhere. - WaterStep and Inspire and Serve both signaled interest in continuing the partnership beyond this initial rollout.

The bottom line: - Jamaica’s public health system is getting a disaster-response tool that can make disinfectant on site, helping facilities stay functional when emergency supply chains fail.