Stating that “difficult conversations can save lives”, the head of a youth-led mental health advocacy group has urged young Caribbean advocates to embrace open dialogue and shared responsibility in tackling suicide prevention.
Dr David Johnson, president of Let’s Unpack It, was speaking at Suicide Prevention: A Conversation with Caribbean Youth, a youth-focused forum held ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
The event brought together young people from across the region to confront stigma, share experiences and push for systemic change.
“In a region where suicide is still treated as a taboo topic, where young people are facing a myriad number of challenges and stressors that heighten their risk, and where we’re still lagging behind on the implementation of national suicide prevention strategies, your presence here signals that you care,” Johnson told participants gathered at the Barbados office of the Pan American Health Organisation.
He urged attendees not to treat the conversation as a one-off observance, but as a catalyst for action.
“These spaces are not just about marking a day,” he said. “They’re about reevaluating our approach, changing the narrative around suicide, and mobilising the systemic change that will make it easier for young people to access life-saving care and support.”
Johnson emphasised that suicide prevention is not solely the responsibility of governments or health professionals.
“Let us embrace it as a moral responsibility that falls on all of us,” Johnson said. “It starts with how we show up for each other, how we listen, how we notice changes, and how we respond when someone is hurting.”
He urged young people to build strong communities of support and not shy away from uncomfortable moments. “Difficult conversations can save lives,” he said.
Johnson also called on Caribbean governments to strengthen their efforts by adopting evidence-based strategies grounded in the World Health Organisation’s Live Life approach – strategies that empower young people to claim their right to mental health and access high-quality care without fear or stigma. (SB)
On Aug. 8, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff in Atlanta came under attack. A gunman fired hundreds of rounds at CDC’s campus, shattering 150 windows.
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On Aug. 8, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff in Atlanta came under attack. A gunman fired hundreds of rounds at CDC’s campus, shattering 150 windows. While public health experts crouched under their desks and their expelled colleagues watched the TV news in despair, many felt it to be the obvious result of the slander, disinformation campaigns, and conspiracy theories wielded against them for months by President Trump, amplified by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Now, they thought bitterly, American citizens are literally shooting at us.
The findings, published in The Journal of Rheumatology, highlight the serious burden of CKD in SLE and its link to cardiovascular complications, higher hospitalization rates, and increased mortality. The research, conducted by Dr. Keren Cohen-Hagai from the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, and the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel, and colleagues, examined long-term outcomes in 175 adults diagnosed with SLE. Patients were followed for a mean of over 18 years, making this one of the more extensive assessments of kidney involvement in lupus.The study revealed the following notable findings:
During the study period, chronic kidney disease was diagnosed in 54.6% of patients, with nearly one in three demonstrating both reduced kidney function and albuminuria.
Importantly, 46.1% of patients with CKD had no prior history of lupus nephritis, underscoring that renal complications in lupus are not limited to those with overt nephritis.
Of the 175 patients included in the study, 12 eventually required kidney replacement therapy.
Statistical analyses revealed that lupus nephritis was the strongest predictor of CKD, with a hazard ratio of 5.4.
Other significant predictors of CKD included advancing age and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at diagnosis.
These findings suggest that while lupus nephritis is a powerful driver of kidney damage, clinicians should also remain vigilant in monitoring lupus patients without nephritis for potential signs of renal decline.
The study further established that CKD in systemic lupus erythematosus carries broad systemic consequences, with patients who had CKD experiencing higher rates of cardiovascular morbidity.
Patients with CKD were also more frequently hospitalized for lupus flare-ups and infections, highlighting the broader health burden associated with renal impairment in lupus.
Mortality risk was markedly higher, with 19.1% of patients with CKD dying during follow-up compared to only 1.4% of those without CKD.
“Our findings highlight the critical need for early identification and close monitoring of kidney health in all lupus patients, not just those with lupus nephritis,” the authors noted. They emphasized that CKD in SLE should be considered a major determinant of long-term outcomes, requiring proactive management strategies to mitigate associated risks.By revealing that nearly half of lupus patients with CKD had no nephritis history, the study challenges assumptions about renal involvement in SLE and broadens the scope of patients who may require closer nephrological evaluation. Given the rising recognition of CKD’s impact on quality of life and survival, the results stress the importance of timely diagnosis, routine kidney assessments, and targeted preventive measures in this high-risk population."The long-term investigation highlights CKD as a prevalent and clinically significant complication in lupus, with implications beyond renal health. Addressing kidney involvement early in the disease course may improve cardiovascular outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, and enhance survival in patients with SLE," the authors concluded. Reference:Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With and Without Lupus Nephritis. Keren Cohen-Hagai, Mor Saban, Sydney Benchetrit, Dorin Bar-Ziv, Naomi Nacasch, Moshe Shashar, Yael Pri-Paz Basson, Ori Wand, Ayelet Grupper, Shaye Kivity, Oshrat E. Tayer-Shifman. The Journal of Rheumatology Jul 2025, jrheum.2024-1087; DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.2024-1087
YOU MAY be having perimenopause if you experience irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood swings, brain fog, vaginal dryness, and weight gain, but the only way to confirm it is to consult a doctor. According to Orlando...
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YOU MAY be having perimenopause if you experience irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood swings, brain fog, vaginal dryness, and weight gain, but the only way to confirm it is to consult a doctor. According to Orlando...
CAREGIVERS FOR cancer patients provide a vital support role, assisting with medical, practical, and emotional needs, and often acting as the main link to healthcare providers. This demanding role can lead to significant physical and emotional...
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CAREGIVERS FOR cancer patients provide a vital support role, assisting with medical, practical, and emotional needs, and often acting as the main link to healthcare providers. This demanding role can lead to significant physical and emotional...
SADO and its partners will commence their awareness campaign on 1 September 2025, culminating on 1 November 2025, with the annual walk from Hermitage to Progress Park
SADO and its partners will commence their awareness campaign on 1 September 2025, culminating on 1 November 2025, with the annual walk from Hermitage to Progress Park
Webinar: Caribbean Regional Stakeholder Meeting on the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health
On Wednesday 30 July 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation, convened a virtual Caribbean Regional Stakeholder Meeting in support of the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) including Mental Health. This timely discussion also marked the 18th anniversary of the landmark 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs.
Panellist Quotes
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Open Letter to CARICOM Heads of Government
In Response to the Official Communique of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government July 6–8, 2025, Montego Bay, Jamaica
July 22, 2025
Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM,
In HCCs Open Letter, we recalled the historical legacy of CARICOM leadership, engagement and participation in previous UN HLMs on NCDs, and called on CARICOM Leaders to deliver on five (5) key civil society asks:
Commit to continued leadership on NCD prevention and control and commit to attendance at the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4) on September 25th, 2025 in the official Communiqué emerging from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Support the twelve Caribbean civil-society led advocacy priorities for inclusion in the official Communiqué from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and in the HLM4Political Declaration [1].
Support one or more CARICOM Heads of Government or State to have a lead role in at least one of the multi-stakeholder panels at the HLM4.
Support the hosting of ahigh-level side-event on the margins of the HLM4 led by CARICOM Heads of Government and State as was done in past UN HLMs on NCDs.
Endorse the inclusion of a representative from a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representing people living with NCDs and a youth representative in country delegations to the HLM4 in recognition of the whole-of-society response to NCDs.
The 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs (HLM4) will take place 25 September 2025 in New York at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Heads of States and Government will set a new vision to prevent and control NCDs towards 2030 and 2050 through a political declaration to be decided in the UN General Assembly. The Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (HLM4) provides a unique opportunity to adopt a new, ambitious and achievable political declaration on NCDs towards 2050.
Open Letter to CARICOM Heads of Government
Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM, On the occasion of this, the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) calls on you, Caribbean Heads of Government and State, to indicate your commitment to addressing one of our region’s most pressing development issues – noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – by attending the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4). The HLM4 will be held on September 25th, 2025 in New York during the 80th Meeting of the UN General Assembly under the theme “Equity and Integration: Transforming Lives and Livelihoods through Leadership and Action on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being.”
The HLM4 comes at a critical time when globally and in the Caribbean, rising rates of NCDs – namely cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health conditions – are vastly outpacing prevention and control efforts. Eighteen years ago, CARICOM Member states played an important role in catapulting NCDs onto the global health agenda with the seminal Port of Spain Declaration. This was followed by the 1st UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2011 which was attended by a significant number of CARICOM Heads who declared in a strong, unified voice that the prevention and control of NCDs was of the highest priority for the region. Almost 20 years after the 1st UN High-Level Meeting, progress in NCD prevention and control is uneven and the 2024 Port of Spain Grid and the 2025 WHO Progress Monitor both reflect a region grossly off track to meet critical regional and global NCD targets including the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4. NCDs are the leading cause of premature deaths in the Caribbean where 40% of NCD deaths occur prematurely before the age of 70 years. As unnecessary death and disability continue to rise, so do the associated costs of preventing and controlling these diseases which place a significant burden on the limited economic resources of CARICOM States – a crisis worsened by the impact of food and nutrition insecurity and climate-related disasters. Within the context of aging and contracting populations and increasing economic and climate vulnerabilities, bold action on NCDs focusing equally on prevention and treatment and care is critical to promoting a secure and sustainable future for the Caribbean.
The HCC-led Caribbean Advocacy Priorities were developed with emphasis on the importance of identifying a set of regional priorities around which CARICOM missions and negotiators can promote at the HLM4; civil society and key advocacy partners can mobilise; and governments and key implementing partners can embrace – as all stakeholders work to accelerate progress to agreed priority NCD prevention and control objectives in CARICOM Member States. They take into consideration the WHO Best Buys and Other Recommended Interventions and CARICOM regional platforms and mandates, reflect and support the global NCDA advocacy priorities, and are further informed by key factors and realities within the Caribbean context.
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition, in collaboration with the NCD Alliance (NCDA), key stakeholders, and partners, has led a process to develop advocacy priorities to inform Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States’ advocacy at, and contribution to, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Fourth High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (HLM4), scheduled for 25 September 2025 with the overall theme “Equity and Integration: Transforming lives and livelihoods through leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and mental health”.
Preparing CARICOM Ministries of Foreign Affairs for HLM4
Preparing CARICOM Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the Fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM4) September 2025 and Beyond- a Briefing Note From Civil Society.
The objective of the briefing note is to support the engagement of CARICOM Member States in the negotiations around the Political Declaration of HLM4. The briefing note presents the HCC-led Caribbean civil society advocacy priorities for HLM4; provides the rationale and evidence behind the advocacy priorities to support the negotiation process and contribute to effective Caribbean participation in the meeting; and sets the stage for continued advocacy for priority evidence-based NCD reduction strategies beyond HLM4.
HCC spotlight on Caribbean NCD leaders leading up to the 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs (HLM4) held during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.
New Delhi- The National Medical Commission (NMC) has begun the online application process for the Eligibility Certificate (EC).
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New Delhi- The National Medical Commission (NMC) has begun the online application process for the Eligibility Certificate (EC). The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) Screening Test will soon be scheduled in the coming months by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Therefore, the candidates must possess the EC issued by the NMC to apply for the Screening Test, as per the specified requirements.
As per the notice earlier issued by the NMC, candidates who have not yet obtained an Eligibility Certificate need to apply for it through the NMC official website. However, to apply for the EC, candidates need to submit an online application form, which is already made available from today, i.e. 01st September 2025, 10:00 AM onwards till 30th September 2025, till 06:00 PM.
The notice also further informed that the applicants can make enquiries about the status of the Eligibility application at the NMC official email; however, while making such enquiries, all the candidates are requested to invariably provide their File Tracking Number, which was generated while submitting the application to NMC for issuance of the Eligibility Certificate. It may please be noted that no response will be sent to the candidate in the absence of a File Tracking Number. An advisory is also attached for the guidance of the applicants.
Accordingly, all candidates are requested to submit an application after conducting due diligence and checking the requisite entries scrupulously before submitting the application. The candidates who have already submitted an application for issuance of the Eligibility Certificate to NMC in the past need not apply again.
Meanwhile, it has also been observed on previous occasions that various mistakes are made by the candidates while applying for the EC. The following are suggested measures to avoid mistakes-
1 The applications should preferably be filled out by the candidate themselves and should ideally avoid a proxy for making applications for EC.
2 The candidates are also advised to keep their documents handy before filling application for EC; it would be ideal if the entries to be made are verified vis-à-vis entries in the original documents.
3 The candidates should provide their active mobile numbers so that alerts/deficiencies can reach them directly for rectification to obviate any delay in rectification. It may also be ensured that once the deficiency is conveyed, only the deficiency should be rectified by the respective candidate as expeditiously as possible to avoid last last-minute rush.
4 Candidates shall scrupulously check entries and ensure conformity with the details in the original documents to ensure quick processing/approval of applications if otherwise eligible.
Health authorities on Monday intensified calls for vigilance in Barbados amid regional outbreaks of chikungunya and new Oropouche virus cases, warning that the country’s tropical conditions leave it vulnerable despite no current outbreaks here.
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) on Friday called for reinforcement of surveillance, clinical management, and vector control to tackle these outbreaks across the Americas. PAHO cautioned that the simultaneous presence of these and other arboviruses increases the risk of outbreaks, severe complications, and fatalities among vulnerable populations.
While Barbadian health officials are assuring the country that there is no outbreak of any of these or other viral diseases, the Ministry of Health says Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and Oropouche are of particular concern.
“The diseases of concern to the ministry are Zika, chikungunya, and Oropouche, in addition to dengue fever. We recently reported to PAHO regarding cases of chikungunya in Barbados. We had 14 confirmed cases in 2024, and so far this year, we have had six confirmed cases,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George told Barbados TODAY.
Dr George said that although chikungunya is transmitted via the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and its symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever, there is a difference in the outcome.
The chief medical officer explained that chikungunya has a longer effect that persists for months after the infection has cleared.
The government’s top public health adviser pointed out that the levels of chikungunya remain low, with only six cases reported this year. He said the health ministry would carry out chikungunya and Zika screening if tests for dengue fever prove negative.
“If we are receiving negative dengue cases, and persons are presenting with symptoms of mosquito-borne illness, we then do a wider screen for Zika, chikungunya and other viral agents,” he explained.
Dr George added: “We have not had any reported cases of Zika for several years. Remember, Zika is the infection that presents similarly to dengue, but is a cause for concern because it can affect pregnant women, leading to some form of birth defect. But there are no cases of Zika in Barbados for the past five years.”
Noting that the country experiences intermittent cases of chikungunya, he said the Ministry of Health will continue to conduct tests.
“We know that the vector Aedes aegypti mosquito is present … in Barbados,” the chief medical officer said. “Dengue is endemic in Barbados. We have always had dengue fever, but there is no outbreak of dengue on island at the moment.”
But, Dr George cautioned residents against becoming complacent: “Barbadians still need to play their part, not only in protecting themselves but in ensuring that breeding areas close to their properties are eliminated.”
On the Oropouche virus, which can be transmitted by sand flies, the top public health expert revealed that Barbados has not had any new cases for over a year and a half. But Barbadians can have confidence in the country’s surveillance system, he said.
“We have a strong surveillance system in Barbados that captures prevailing illnesses within the population. Our data suggests there is no Oropouche, so I have to believe it,” he declared.
According to a new epidemiological alert from PAHO, the largest chikungunya outbreaks have been concentrated in South America—particularly Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay—and in parts of the Caribbean. These are associated with the Asian and East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotypes, marking a shift in the pattern observed since 2014. Cases reported in the Indian Ocean region, Europe, and Asia also raise the risk of reintroduction and further spread into new areas with conditions conducive to transmission.
PAHO reports that as of August 9, 14 countries in the region reported a total of 212 029 suspected chikungunya cases and 110 deaths, with more than 97 per cent occurring in South America.
In comparison, 2024 saw 431 417 reported cases and 245 deaths—indicating a decline this year, though localised outbreaks remain active.
In the first seven months of the year, over 12 700 confirmed Oropouche cases have been reported in 11 countries, including indigenous cases in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela which were not attributed to travellers.
Researchers have discovered that patients with vitiligo, a chronic autoimmune skin disorder that occurs in 1-2% of the world's population, do not seem to have a substantially elevated or diminished overall risk for developing cancer. The results indicate that there are no consistent associations between vitiligo and malignancy.
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The study was conducted by Alzahra and colleagues published in the journal of Dermatology and Therapy.
The meta-analysis was performed in line with PRISMA 2020 and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023483130). Researchers performed an extensive literature search on Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Among 7,753 records identified, 6,378 were left after removing duplicates, and eventually 12 studies were included in the final review. Of these, six studies yielded data that were appropriate for quantitative meta-analysis.
Overall, the combined sample was representative of 3,267,951 participants, 289,322 of whom had vitiligo. Analysis focused specifically on malignancy risks for melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, and lymphoma—three cancer groups previously suspected to be affected by vitiligo-associated immune mechanisms.
Key Findings
• 12 studies were included in the final review.
• 6 studies were meta-analysis eligible.
• Total sample size: 3,267,951 participants.
•Vitiligo patients: 289,322 individuals.
• Pooled hazard ratio (HR) for lymphoma: 1.00 (95% CI 0.40–2.53), showing no significant increase in risk.
• Pooled HR for melanoma: 0.80 (95% CI 0.27–2.34), suggesting no consistent association and a possible—but unproven—protective effect.
• Pooled HR for non-melanoma skin cancer: 0.38 (95% CI 0.00–732.76), a highly variable result reflecting study heterogeneity.
This wide-ranging meta-analysis, encompassing more than 3.2 million participants, failed to identify any obvious correlation between cancer risk and vitiligo. While a protective role against certain malignancies remains a possibility, the enormous heterogeneity of study findings makes interpretation of conclusions highly cautious. Greater methodological rigor is needed to characterize the actual relationship between vitiligo and malignancy risk.
Reference:
Mohammed, A.A., Lengyel, A.S., Meznerics, F.A. et al. Cancer Risk in Vitiligo: No Evidence of Increased Prevalence—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-025-01520-0
