The 24-hour mental health hotline, Lifeline Barbados, has received well over 6 000 calls since its launch in April 2024 – evidence, said Minister of Health and Wellness Senator Jerome Walcott, of the nation’s growing reliance on accessible mental health support.

Delivering the feature address at the opening of the 69th CARPHA Health Research Conference on Wednesday, Senator Walcott described Lifeline Barbados as “a vital step towards ensuring accessible mental healthcare for all persons.”

“From February 1 to May 2, the helpline received 6 572 calls,” he disclosed. “Issues range from anxiety, depression, suicidal and homicidal ideation, substance abuse, and social challenges. There were 740 calls recorded last month—the highest number for a month since the start of the programme.”

He continued: “The data highlights ongoing reliance on this vital service. A high resolution rate and positive feedback affirm its crucial role in Barbados’ mental health landscape.”

Senator Walcott was speaking under the conference theme,Mental Health: A Hidden Epidemic, which he said captured the urgency of the issue and the need for “real solutions, collaboration across different groups, and strong support from leaders, organisations, and communities.”

“Mental health is not an adjunct to public health,” he asserted.

“It is foundational.”

The minister said the COVID-19 pandemic had “exposed the weaknesses in mental health support systems and showed how closely psychological wellbeing is connected to economic stability, education, and social resilience.”

Referencing data from the World Health Organisation, he noted a 25 per cent global rise in anxiety and depression since the onset of the pandemic.

To address the gaps in mental healthcare, Senator Walcott announced several legislative and strategic initiatives. These include the ongoing review and modernisation of Barbados’ mental health legislation in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), as well as the completion of a national mental health reform plan and roadmap to bring services in line with international best practices.

“The revised legislation, grounded in a human rights-based approach, will play a crucial role in promoting community integration, strengthening mental health services within primary care, and expanding access to quality care at the community level,” he said.

But he warned that institutional reforms alone would not be enough.

“The greatest obstacle we face is stigma. Stigma keeps too many of us silent. It delays treatment, deepens suffering, and in its most devastating form, leads to preventable loss of life. This cannot continue,” he declared.

“We must replace shame with empathy, silence with conversation, and fear with understanding. Only then can we create a society where mental health is recognised, supported, and prioritised for all.”

He called for a national cultural shift that starts “at the most personal level and extends into every institution,” including families, schools, churches, and Parliament. “We must work to normalise mental health dialogue in public and private spaces alike. We must amplify the voices of survivors and advocates and foster a climate in which seeking help is not regarded as a weakness, but recognised as an act of courage and strength.”

In a direct appeal to Barbadian youth, Walcott added: “We see you. We hear you. We understand the weight of the pressures you face—academic, emotional, digital and social. We know that too many of you are struggling in silence, feeling unheard and overlooked. That is why we are turning words into action.”

Additionally, he said the government is expanding schoolbased mental health programmes and peer support networks, while creating more platforms for youth voices to inform mental health policy.

Looking ahead, the minister laid out four pillars for a stronger regional mental health response: integrating mental health into national health and education policies; launching public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma; creating targeted interventions for vulnerable populations; and investing in data, infrastructure, and workforce training.

“Mental health is not a luxury, nor is it optional,” he said. “It is a fundamental human right. Our response must be rooted in shared responsibility, and it must be sustained by a collective will to act.” sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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Smiles GCP has been serving Grenada since 2018, and provides services including dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, and oral health education

View the full post Hon. Telesford commends Smiles GCP dental mission on NOW Grenada.

Tampa, Florida.- A new report from the University of South Florida (USF) reveals that April 2025 saw unprecedented levels of sargassum in the western Atlantic and eastern Caribbean, with a 150% increase above historical averages. The volume recorded—over 31 million tons—surpasses even the peak levels of June 2022, marking a new environmental milestone.

The surge has heavily impacted marine ecosystems, tourism, and coastal communities, with some Caribbean areas experiencing sargassum levels twice as high as previous records. Scientists warn that 2025 may become the worst year on record for sargassum accumulation.

In response, SOS Carbon is calling for sustained regional cooperation. The organization’s Littoral Collection Module (LCM), already deployed in over five Caribbean nations, is helping mitigate the damage while exploring ways to turn sargassum into a sustainable resource.

Means, an M.D. and author who runs a holistic wellness blog and co-founded the health tech company Levels, is the sister of Calley Means, an adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Both Meanses have become key influencers in the MAHA world, with Casey lending her medical training and knowledge to the cause. 

Trump’s original nominee to the post of surgeon general was Janette Nesheiwat, a medical doctor and Fox News contributor. The White House withdrew her nomination a day before Nesheiwat was scheduled to appear before a key Senate committee. She came under fire in recent weeks for previous comments she’d made online in support of the Covid vaccine and masking during the pandemic. CBS News also reported that Nesheiwat received her medical degree from a school in the Caribbean, not, as she claimed, the University of Arkansas School of Medicine.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

View the full post Bishop’s College defends title at 2025 National Nutrition Quiz on NOW Grenada.

A Ministry of Health nursing assistant is wanted by the police for allegedly creating public mischief and attempting to pervert and obstruct the course of justice by claiming that she was present at the post-mortem examination of the body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge. A woman’s voice is heard on the recording claiming that “Frank” told ...

Santo Domingo.- In response to widespread flooding caused by heavy rains across multiple provinces, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Public Health (MSP), through its Epidemiology Directorate (DIEPI), issued a series of health recommendations to prevent disease outbreaks in affected communities.

Citing alerts from the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the ministry warned of increased risks of diseases such as leptospirosis, cholera, dengue, respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Key precautions include avoiding contact with contaminated water, using protective gear like gloves and boots, eliminating mosquito breeding sites, drinking only safe or treated water, thoroughly cooking food, and frequent handwashing.

The ministry also urged residents to seek medical help for symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or muscle pain and to avoid self-medicating. Health personnel are instructed to report any rain-related health incidents through the national surveillance system. Special warnings were issued to parents to keep children away from floodwaters and to those with preexisting conditions to keep medications accessible in case of evacuation.

Resources were swiftly mobilised to investigate the recent discovery of dead fish and discolouration of seawater in Calivigny Harbour

View the full post Marine disturbances in Calivigny Harbour on NOW Grenada.

GFNC encourages parents and caregivers to gradually replace processed snacks with said ingredients with healthier, real-food alternatives as snack options

View the full post Some snacks and hyperactivity: Is there a link? on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo.- The Medellín Health City Cluster has expressed interest in establishing partnerships with Dominican health sector organizations and leaders, aiming to enhance medical tourism between both countries. Currently, around 4% of the 11 million tourists visiting the Dominican Republic seek medical services.

Cluster manager Mónica Sánchez noted that the alliance would promote mutual benefits, including knowledge exchange, shared best practices between health centers, and improved patient care. She highlighted the Dominican Republic’s well-trained medical professionals and visionary leadership as strengths for forming a successful collaboration.

Sánchez emphasized Medellín’s capacity to contribute with its high-complexity health centers and praised the Dominican Association of Health and Wellness Tourism (ADTS), under Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, for its role in positioning the country as a leader in medical tourism.