The Accident and Emergency Department is again experiencing a surge in the number of patients presenting for treatment with various medical complaints. At 11am today November 1st, 2023, approximately 50 patients were waiting to be seen by our medical team.

The peak in numbers has led to some patients experiencing increased wait times in the department. For further information or advice on if you need to present to the Accident and Emergency Department with your medical complaint, please call our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS/Help Desk) at 536-4800 using regular or whatsapp calls from 9am to 12 midnight during this surge.

You also have the option of visiting the 24-hour Winston Scott Polyclinic at Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael for treatment or your private General Practitioner.

If you present to the AED with medical conditions which are not deemed life-threatening or an emergency, it is possible you may experience an extended wait.

Life-threatening conditions, under the Accident and Emergency’s Triage System will continue to be seen and treated immediately. These include patients who for example, have life, limb or sight threatening complaints, gunshot wounds, heart attacks, active seizure activity or a patient who needs resuscitation.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and we will continue to provide updates as we work to reduce extended waiting times and offer the best possible care and treatment in the Accident and Emergency Department

The post Public Notice: Increased wait times at the Accident and Emergency Department appeared first on Barbados Today.

SOURCE: AP – The only cure for painful sickle cell disease today is a bone marrow transplant. But soon there may be a new cure that attacks the disorder at its genetic source.

On Tuesday, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will review a gene therapy for the inherited blood disorder, which in the U.S. mostly affects Black people. Issues they will consider include whether more research is needed into possible unintended consequences of the treatment.

If approved by the FDA, it would be the first gene therapy on the U.S. market based on CRISPR, the gene editing tool that won its inventors the Nobel Prize in 2020.

The agency is expected to decide on the treatment in early December, before taking up a different sickle cell gene therapy later that month.

Dr. Allison King, who cares for children and young adults with sickle cell disease, said she’s enthusiastic about the possibility of new treatments.

“Anything that can help relieve somebody with this condition of the pain and the multiple health complications is amazing,” said King, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “It’s horribly painful. Some people will say it’s like being stabbed all over.”

The disorder affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A genetic mutation causes the cells to become crescent-shaped, which can block blood flow and cause excruciating pain, organ damage, stroke and other problems.

Millions of people around the world, including about 100,000 in the U.S., have the disease. It occurs more often among people from places where malaria is or was common, like Africa and India, and is also more common in certain ethnic groups, such as people of African, Middle Eastern and Indian descent. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria.

Current treatments include medications and blood transfusions. The only permanent solution is a bone marrow transplant, which must come from a closely matched donor without the disease and brings a risk of rejection.

No donor is required for the one-time gene therapy, “exa-cel,” made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics. This new treatment involves permanently changing DNA in a patient’s blood cells.

The goal is to help the body go back to producing a fetal form of hemoglobin — which is naturally present at birth but then switches to an adult form that’s defective in people with sickle cell disease.

When patients undergo the treatment, stem cells are removed from their blood and CRISPR is used to knock out the switching gene. Patients get medicines to kill off other flawed blood-producing cells and then are given back their own altered stem cells.

The treatment has been tested in a relatively small number of patients thus far, the nonprofit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review said in an evidence report.

In a briefing document released Friday before the advisory committee meeting, Vertex said 46 people got the treatment in the pivotal study. Of 30 who had at least 18 months of follow-up, 29 were free of pain crises for at least a year and all 30 avoided being hospitalized for pain crises for that long.

The company called the treatment “transformative” and said it has “a strong safety profile.”

Victoria Gray, of Mississippi, the first patient to test the treatment, shared her experience with researchers at a scientific conference earlier this year. She described suffering with terrible bouts of pain since childhood and receiving high-dose pain medications and sometimes blood transfusions. She described feeling she “was being reborn” the day she got the gene therapy.

Now, she’s able to run around with her kids and work a full-time job. “My children no longer have a fear of losing their mom to sickle cell disease,” she said.

But the FDA is asking an outside panel of gene therapy experts next week to discuss a lingering issue that often comes up when discussing CRISPR: the possibility of “off-target effects,” which are unexpected, unwanted changes to a person’s genome. The FDA is looking for advice on whether the company’s research on such effects was adequate to assess the risk or whether additional studies are needed. While the agency doesn’t have to follow the group’s advice, it often does.

If the treatment is allowed on the market, the company has proposed a post-approval safety study, product labeling outlining potential risks and continuing research.

The FDA is expected to decide on the second gene therapy for sickle cell, made by Bluebird Bio, before the end of the year. Bluebird’s treatment works differently. It aims to add functional copies of a modified gene, which helps red blood cells produce “anti-sickling” hemoglobin that prevents or reverses misshapen cells.

The companies have not released potential prices for either therapy, but the institute report said prices up to around $2 million would be cost-effective. By comparison, research earlier this year showed medical expenses for current sickle cell treatments, from birth to age 65, add up to about $1.6 million for women and $1.7 million for men.

King, the St. Louis doctor, acknowledged the new treatments would be expensive. “But if you think about it,” she said, “how much is it worth for someone to feel better and not be in pain and not be in the hospital all the time?”

The post A new cure for sickle cell disease may be coming. Health advisers will review it next week appeared first on Barbados Today.

Health professionals in the Caribbean are urging women to seek early testing for breast cancer, as recent data reveals a troubling increase in diagnoses among women between the ages of 30 and 39.

During a recent webinar titled ‘Join the Fight: A conversation about breast cancer,’ organized by Sagicor Life, a Primary Care Physician from St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Kesiha Liddie, issued a stark warning about the shifting landscape of breast cancer diagnoses over the past five to six years.

“The important thing is to become aware very early,” Dr Liddie said. She noted that while breast cancer diagnoses have historically been associated with older age and a higher incidence in females compared to males, there is a growing trend of breast cancer being detected in younger women.

Data from St Kitts underscored this concerning trend. Dr Liddie shared statistics indicating that the country reported 36 cases this year within the age group of 50 to 59 and 23 cases in ages 40 to 49. There were no cases found under the age of 30.

However, there were 14 cases diagnosed in women aged 30 to 39, marking a significant increase in diagnoses among younger women compared to previous years when the majority of cases occurred in women aged 50 and above.

Dr Asante Le Blanc, Chairperson of the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society, delved into potential risk factors beyond age that might be contributing to the rising number of cases among younger women. She emphasized that while family history and lifestyle choices may be influential, environmental factors, including climate change, were also playing a significant role in the escalating cancer incidence. 

Furthermore, Dr Le Blanc stressed the importance of awareness and vigilance, both personally and professionally, highlighting risks associated with the prolonged use of birth control and exposure to carcinogens, formaldehyde, and radiation in certain occupations and lifestyles. 

She pointed out that the rise in breast cancer diagnoses among younger women, while concerning, reflects an increased awareness of the disease and underscores the need for preventive measures.

“Screening for breast cancer is a very holistic programme and that means from our young age of puberty, we need to teach young girls about their breasts and how to do self-breast examinations because it aids in terms of you understanding what your breasts feel like on a monthly basis before even having to do a clinical breast exam,” Le Blanc said.

“So, from a young age, if you understand what your breasts feel like, when you’re 30 and feel something different, you won’t have to wonder and wait, you can go to your doctor and say something is different because you know what your breasts have been feeling like over the years … and that allows for earlier diagnosis and therefore early detection and therefore better survivorship.”

The webinar also featured personal stories from two panelists, Tonya Byer, a digital communications specialist from Barbados, and Nurse and Counselor Emalda Benjamin from Antigua and Barbuda.

Byer shared her diagnosis experience at the age of 38, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and prompt medical attention when faced with unexplained weight loss during breastfeeding.

In contrast, Benjamin initially dismissed a lump she felt in 2017 but sought medical help during a routine physical examination at the age of 50, which led to her breast cancer diagnosis.

Dr Liddie reflected on these personal stories, acknowledging that the lifestyle of the current generation has significantly evolved compared to previous generations. She underscored that breast cancer is an individualized disease, presenting differently for each person.

Dr Liddie stated that risk factors such as early menarche, late menopause, not having children, having a first child after the age of 30, and choosing not to breastfeed, all increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

Breast cancer stands as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in the Caribbean region. As awareness about the disease continues to grow, participants in the webinar pointed to the critical need to build robust support communities for those affected by breast cancer.

Dr Le Blanc therefore encouraged patients to connect with survivor networks, highlighting the significant advancements in cancer treatment in recent years.

Concluding her remarks, Dr Blanc noted, “You’re going to have tough days, you’re going to have good days, but that’s where your support network comes into play, and though it might seem daunting, there have been remarkable strides in cancer treatment on the whole.”

The post Women urged to seek early testing for breast cancer appeared first on Barbados Today.

A mammogram is a radiographic image of the breast. Regular mammograms have the ability to detect breast cancer in its early stages, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

When you go for your mammogram, initially, you’ll position yourself in front of an X-ray machine, where a radiologist will place one of your breasts on a plastic plate. Another plate will then gently compress your breast from above, keeping it steady while the X-ray is taken.

You may experience some pressure. Subsequently, the same procedure will be carried out for the other breast. Finally, you’ll wait while the radiologist reviews the X-rays to ensure that they don’t need to be retaken before you receive your results.

It is important to note that each woman’s mammogram may look a little different due to the unique characteristics of each individual’s breast. Contact Diagnostic Radiology at 432-7099 or office@diagnosticbarbados.com to book your appointment.

The post What to Expect: Your First Mammogram appeared first on Barbados Today.

A medical practitioner says the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) needs to hire additional anesthesiologists to meet the demands that can only be executed by physicians trained in that speciality area.

Speaking to members of the media at a World Anaesthesia Day Symposium in the QEH Auditorium on Monday, consultant anesthesiologist Dr Keisha Thomas-Gibson said more anesthesiologists were required to decrease the heavy workload in the Anaesthesia Department, as she noted that the duties of anesthesiologists go way beyond administering medication to put a patient to sleep before surgery and being there to wake them following the procedure.

Dr Thomas-Gibson, who is the Anesthesia Intensive Care programme coordinator for the University of the West Indies (UWI) undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, said because the anesthesiologist’s role stretches outside the operating theatre, more human resources are necessary to service all the other areas.

“Ninety-nine per cent of patients do not know that the anesthesiologist is with them throughout the surgery. They think that we give an injection and sometimes return to wake you up, or you wake up on your own, and that is absolutely not the case. We are the intraoperative, the surgeon cuts, and we do everything else. 

“So it is a situation where, of course, we need human resources, we need persons, we need staff to be able to execute all of the different roles that we have and the speciality of anaesthesia. Because we are finding ourselves in so many other parts of the hospital, we need staff to be able to service all those areas that we are required to service,” she said.

Adding that an extensive list of highly specialised surgeries is performed in Barbados, Dr Thomas-Gibson said that, at times, anesthesiologists have to push other cases aside to be able to provide the service to that speciality case.

“So the backlogs can’t be addressed by us alone. We are here every single day, and we only do what is presented up until a particular time within here and obvious limitations,” she said.

During her presentation, Dr Thomas-Gibson stressed that the safety record at the hospital is “exceptional”.

She commended the partnership between UWI and the QEH, where doctors are receiving specialised training to become anesthesiologists. (AH)

The post More anesthesiologists needed at QEH appeared first on Barbados Today.

Second-generation Barbadian Daniella Sawyers is enjoying a new lease on life at 17 and will soon be granted her wish – to visit Barbados.

She was diagnosed with Rett syndrome – a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder that affects the way the brain develops, and causes a progressive loss of motor skills and language – at the age of two, when she began showing signs of unsteadiness and could not stand or walk for long periods of time.

In June, she began treatment at Cohen Children’s Medical Centre with a newly approved drug that dramatically reduced the symptoms of her illness.

Daniella was present at a press conference on Tuesday, at which her doctor, Sanjeev Kothare, MD, director in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at Cohen Children’s Medical Centre, presented his findings.

Also present, along with her Barbadian mother Chyrel, her Jamaican father Donovan and other members of the Northwell Health team, were Consul General of Barbados at New York Mackie Holder, and Deputy Director, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) USA, Tenisha Holder.

Rett syndrome occurs almost exclusively in girls and leads to severe impairments that affect nearly every aspect of the child’s life, pointed out Dr Kothare, who has been treating Daniella for the past few years. The disorder is caused by mutations on the X chromosome on a gene called
MECP2.

It is estimated that Rett syndrome occurs worldwide in one out of every 10 000 female births. Patients will live to middle age or beyond with increasingly debilitating symptoms if not treated.

By the time Dr Kothare started treating Daniella in 2021, she was experiencing chronic and uncontrollable seizures – as many as 30 to 40 in one day – and her ability to speak was very limited. Her mother said that Daniella “spoke with her eyes”.

That began to change when Dr Kothare prescribed a drug called Daybue (trofinetide), which was approved by the FDA in March. The new drug improved cognition, gait and behaviour.

We are so grateful to Dr Kothare for prescribing Daybue for Daniella,” said the teen’s mother. “In just three months, she is walking and speaking sentences. And the seizures are much less frequent and of shorter duration. The thing to remember is that children like Daniella understand everything – it’s like they’re trapped inside a piece of glass.

According to Dr Kothare, Daniella will be taking the medication for the rest of her life. He believes that she and her family will continue to see improvements.

The Barbados representatives were part of the event after a Northwell representative contacted Consul General Holder about Daniella’s condition and her wish to visit Barbados, the birthplace of not only her mother but of Rihanna, of whom she is a big fan.

When Holder heard, he sprang into action. The family and audience burst into applause when he announced that the Sawyers family would be treated to a one-week vacation in Barbados.

Daniella clearly understood the announcement. Looking at her mother, she said, “I love it.”

Holder said it was an honour to have Barbados associated with the announcement of the medical breakthrough by Northwell, which has been particularly kind to the island during the COVID-19 pandemic and with which he had built a strong relationship.

He noted that the Consulate could not help but get involved when he heard of Daniella’s story. He said making her dream trip come true was a reflection of the DNA of Barbados which has built a reputation for warmth and hospitality, whether sharing a meal with strangers or giving refuge to stranded persons and ships, as it did during the pandemic.

He also pointed out that Barbados was known as a place people visited for its recuperative climate.

Tenisha Holder said BTMI was happy to facilitate the family trip to Barbados and would ensure Daniella sees Rihanna’s childhood home and enjoys as much of what the island has to offer as possible.

The post Teen with rare disorder recovering and heading to Barbados appeared first on Barbados Today.

In the wake of a loved one’s passing, many find solace in preserving cherished memories through photos, mementoes, or keepsakes. For former journalist Krystal Penny Bowen, the route of memory for her late mother, Sheralene Bowen, begins in the kitchen. The destination is the book, Food: My Mother’s Love Language: Celebrating the Life of Sheralene Bowen, a culinary tribute encapsulating her mother’s delicious recipes.

Bowen has received heartwarming feedback from readers who commend her for the touching tribute to her mother. 

She fondly recalled one of her most cherished memories of working side by side with her mother in the kitchen, a place where they not only prepared meals but also nurtured their bond.

“My mother loved to let me take photos of her food. I think that was the only way that I could be in the kitchen. In addition to that we would work together to get her food orders out. I was often called on to get the supplies or prep the raw materials. I would provide as much support as possible and in some cases, I would even serve the food at the event during her catering jobs,” she said. 

The idea took root in November 2021 when Krystal created a 12-page draft containing her ailing mother’s 12 cherished recipes. Sheralene wholeheartedly embraced the concept and supported her daughter’s effort until she succumbed to cervical cancer just four months later. Krystal was determined to see her dream of publishing the book come to fruition, not only as a culinary compilation but also as a brief glimpse into the multifaceted life of her beloved mother, who was not only a chef but also a devoted mom and active community member.

Krystal emphasised her dedication to commemorating her mother’s life with the utmost respect for her final days and their family. The book primarily focuses on her mother’s remarkable career as a cook and entrepreneur, taking approximately four months to complete. Krystal collaborated with Robert Gibson of Passionate Words Editing Services, whose expertise was invaluable in shaping the book’s layout and appearance.

While the writing process was undoubtedly challenging, Krystal firmly believes it played an integral role in her healing journey by allowing her to share her mother’s incredible persona with a wider audience.

Krystal said: “My mother was an incredible person. She was artistic, funny, kind and loving. She was a social butterfly – she enjoyed socialising, dancing, singing and volunteering. As a cook and chef, she worked in hospitality, in food canteens as well as in several restaurants such as the now defunct BJ’s Café, Wonderland Deli and the University of The West Indies Cave Hill Campus Cafeteria. She catered for The University of The West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, World Cup 2007, QEH Medical Staff as well as for the late Prime Minister of Barbados, The Rt. Hon. David Thompson and then-Attorney General of Barbados, and now Prime Minister of Barbados, The Hon. Mia Amor Mottley. Mom was unable to work for many years due to her declining health, in 2022 she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer.”

The graduate of The University of Leicester with a Masters of Art in Media, Communications, and Public Relations urges others to consider documenting their loved ones’ legacies through writing, as it can provide solace during the grieving process.

“Writing a book about your loved one is difficult, but I believe one should do it. My mom meant the world to me. She was my friend, she loved me unconditionally. When writing, think of what was truly special about that parent. For my mother, it was her love of cooking and how she used food to share her love. Food was her love language –it was how she showed her feelings, and she was an incredible cook too,” she shared, encapsulating the profound sentiment behind her tribute to her mother. (PR/BT)

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Many children, adolescents and young people are struggling to cope in a fast-changing world says arts psychotherapist Varia Williams. 

“Coming out of COVID, the mental health stresses arising out of isolation and loss of opportunities are still being felt in a very real way – and we’re seeing this through increased self-harm and other social, emotional, behavioural and mental health challenges,” she said.

“We have a mental health crisis on our hands, and one of the key challenges is to destigmatise and normalise the discourse around this critical aspect of our wellbeing.”

Williams recently returned from pursuing a Master of Arts in Drama and Movement Therapy – a method of psychotherapy which incorporates and utilises creative arts in therapy.

She explained that arts therapy is a fast-growing specialist area of psychotherapy. The therapist, working within a theoretical framework of developmental and analytical psychology, applies techniques using movement, drama, art, play, images and symbols to make connections between conscious and unconscious states to encourage integration and balance.

“I expect that my new skills will complement those already available in Barbados to support these needs. I’ll be looking for opportunities to collaborate with other mental health professionals, programmes, and agencies over the next coming months to do just that,” Williams said.

Already well-known as a theatre practitioner and drama teacher in Barbados, her experience over the past 15 years as managing director of Mustardseed Productions – a company recognised for its bold and innovative productions while promoting culture, creativity and identity – has laid the groundwork for this new venture she is undertaking.  

“During the pandemic, we couldn’t meet, we couldn’t perform, and we saw the impact on our young people. It forced me to refocus and reconsider my training to address deeper needs within society,” Williams said. “The course of study I chose is still very much related to my passion for people and the arts, but now focuses more on the field of psychology, psychotherapy and mental health and wellness.”  

Her work in the two-year immersive programme at the University of London’s highly respected Royal Central School of Speech and Drama earned her a distinction, saw her complete several job attachments, including working in a forensic hospital for men with mental illnesses and who have committed serious crimes. Williams also worked with both verbal and non-verbal children and youth in schools dealing with such issues as anxiety, grief and suicidal ideation.

Her dissertation, titled Limbo State of Mind, addressed specific mental health considerations derived from the transatlantic slave trade and the legacy of colonialism for Caribbean communities. In it, she posits how continued suppression, repression and oppression of race-related issues contribute to many mental health challenges, as black diasporic communities continue to address issues of identity, rage, shame, grief and disenfranchisement.

“Life took me to this next stage,” revealed the arts psychotherapist. “Mustardseed was always about inclusion, about welcoming and recognising differences, about allowing children and adolescents to learn about themselves and community while gaining confidence through drama and theatre. So, this is a natural progression for me.”

Going forward, Williams said, “My primary focus will be on establishing a treatment practice using movement and drama in therapy and bringing in other elements of creative arts therapy. I will be working with individuals and groups – children, young people and adults, on issues related to mental health.” 

(PR/BT)

The post Creative arts therapist on mission to help young people in mental health crisis appeared first on Barbados Today.

By Emmanuel Joseph

A CARICOM Impact Assessment (CIA) study on front-of-package Nutritional Labelling (FoPNL) has unveiled that Barbados imports the highest percentage of products displaying the UK Traffic Light warning system.

FoPNL is seen as a tool to inform consumers of the healthiness of foods, encourage healthier food choices, and limit the intake of foods that contain high amounts of critical nutrients of public health concern, such as sodium, sugars, and fats.

The CIA study, which was funded by the region’s private sector, also confirmed the need for a labelling model designed to meet the unique needs of consumers in Barbados and the rest of the region.

Ironically, the 214-page research, conducted by St Lucia-based KMA Consulting Limited last year, found that “the US Facts Up Front and the UK Traffic Light schemes are best suited to achieve the regional population’s health objectives, in comparison to the CARICOM Regional Standards Scheme Octagonal Warning Label”.

The controversial Black and White Octagonal Warning Label is the sole front-of-package model under consideration by CARICOM, whose member states will vote this weekend on whether to implement it as the region-wide system.

On Monday, the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), representing food and beverage makers and importers, told Barbados TODAY that it planned to reject the CARICOM label.

The study, designed to ascertain an appropriate FoPNL scheme and identify a harmonised approach for its implementation, was commissioned by the Regional Private Sector Organisation.

“Of the products with an FoPNL, the most commonly used was the US Facts Up Front, followed by the EU GDA and UK Traffic Light systems in descending order. On average, 16 per cent of the products in the product sample featured the US Facts Up Front FoPNL, 4 per cent the EU GDA, and only 0.9 per cent bore the UK Traffic FoPNL,” the survey concluded.

“The Bahamas had the largest percentage of products with the US Facts Up Front FoPNL at 29 per cent, while Jamaica had the lowest at six per cent. The GDA system was most commonly used in Belize and Trinidad, with seven per cent and five per cent of the products carrying that label, respectively. Jamaica had the lowest percentage of goods with the EU GDA label at only two per cent.

“Barbados had the highest percentage of products with the UK Traffic Light system at four per cent. However, none of the products in the sample from Guyana and Jamaica carried the UK Traffic Light system. No products were found bearing the Mexican and Brazilian FoPNL Models.”

The survey also revealed that “a clear regional policy should be enunciated to guide the design and format of a regional FoPNL scheme suited to meet the needs of regional consumers”.

The researchers also recommended that the development process for the label should be jointly led by the relevant public sector agencies responsible for trade, economic development, and food and nutrition security and that this process involves all key stakeholders, particularly the regional food manufacturing/processing sector.

They concluded that once consensus is reached on the design and format of the FoPNL model, it should be proposed for regional standardisation through the established regional standards development process.

“Concurrently, member states should urgently begin steps towards strengthening their national and consequently regional quality infrastructure for food and nutrition safety and security,” the impact assessment recommended, adding that enforcement should be informed by a thorough Regulatory Impact Assessment.

“Enforcement of an FoPNL scheme should be carried out through the appropriate food safety technical regulations (referencing the appropriate national labelling standard) in each member state at the appropriate stage.”

Before recommending the US and UK front-of-package labels for use in the region, the researchers evaluated and ranked the different schemes on factors such as economic impact, social impact, and compliance impact.

Using data from primary and secondary sources, the different FoPNL models were assessed within a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) framework, applying indicators such as consumer choice, production, and trade.

They said that MCA is used as an alternative to cost-benefit analysis to assess the comparative suitability of alternatives and consider other factors that cannot be quantified or assigned monetary value.

The study revealed that across the eight pilot countries, on average, 70 per cent of the products reviewed had nutritional facts labels, while only 22 per cent had FoPNL. The Bahamas had the highest percentage of products with nutritional facts labels, 95 per cent, and consequently the highest proportion of products with an FoPNL.

The survey found that Barbados had the seventh highest, with 65 per cent.

However, Barbados fared slightly better among the eight countries when it came to front-of-package nutritional labels, ranking fourth, with 22 per cent of its products featuring FoPNL.

The findings from the market baseline assessment, randomised control trial, stakeholder engagement, and literature review confirmed that the eating habits of regional consumers have trended toward increased consumption of street vended and packaged processed foods.

The results also showed that food-based dietary guidelines in most CARICOM member states are outdated and not aligned with the intent of the regional and respective national policies on food and nutrition security.

Coming out of the stakeholder engagement, it was recommended that the introduction of an FoPNL scheme must be supported by a robust consumer education campaign. 

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

The post Barbados leads in UK-style food, drink labels – study appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has confirmed a dengue fever outbreak in Barbados.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, disclosed that the threshold was reached at the end of September, where 518 cases were recorded compared to the same period in 2022, when there were 241 cases. The Ministry of Health and Wellness classifies a case of dengue fever as both suspected and confirmed.

Of the 40 confirmed cases of dengue for the year, 28 were recorded in September.

“These recent increases signal the start of a dengue fever outbreak in Barbados in September 2023. There were no confirmed cases in 2022,” the Chief Medical Officer stated.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has also advised that there have been outbreaks in Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Eastern Caribbean, with dengue virus serotype 2 resulting in some hospitalisations.   There have also been recorded rising cases in the OECS, including Grenada. The World Health Organization recently indicated that increased cases of mosquito-borne disease were likely in Europe, the United States of America and Africa, as a result of climate change (warmer, wetter and less reliable climate).

Dengue fever is an acute mosquito-borne febrile illness caused by infection with one of the four known dengue serotypes.  It is endemic in Barbados with occasional outbreaks.

The public is reminded of the symptoms, which include headaches, muscle and joint pains, vomiting and a characteristic skin rash. Most cases are self-limiting and recovery generally takes two to seven days.

In severe cases, haemorrhagic symptoms and organ failure can occur, which may, on occasion, result in shock and death. The likelihood of adverse outcomes occurs when there are multiple strains circulating. The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory has advised that serotypes 1, 2 and 3 are circulating in Barbados.

Dr George urged members of the public to take immediate protective actions. These include:

• Source reduction – removal of sites and receptacles where stagnant water can collect. For example, the overflow dishes of plant pots in homes, plant cuttings and discarded tyres,
• using mosquito repellent on the skin,
• wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, particularly during peak biting times – dusk and dawn,
• using mosquito nets over infant beds, cribs, carriers and strollers,
• and installing window and door screens to keep out mosquitoes.

Additionally, Dr George advised persons who have an unexplained fever or exhibit any of the other symptoms mentioned above, to seek medical attention.  A blood test will be required for confirmation of dengue fever.

The Chief Medical Officer said that the Ministry of Health and Wellness will use the location of reported suspected and confirmed dengue cases to inform its fogging campaign. He further advised that any unusual increases in mosquito sightings should be reported to the environmental health department of the nearest polyclinic. To date, there have been no deaths attributed to dengue fever.

(BGIS)

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