A group of investors in the Brazilian state of Roraima is interested in establishing a medical school in the Rupununi, and President Irfaan Ali wants the University of Guyana (UG) and the University of the West Indies (UWI) to be part of the project. Addressing the sod-turning ceremony for a new hospital at Lethem and ...

President Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced that his administration’s Georgetown transformation plan includes improving drainage, emphasising history and culture while promoting walking and riding rather than too many vehicles in the city. “All of these sectors and segments that we see the City evolving with will support a city that is people-centric, moving more towards ...

The cockpit voice recorder of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Bell 412EPI helicopter that crashed and burnt almost one year ago in dense jungle was badly damaged, causing investigators to rely heavily on the personal accounts of the co-pilot and another survivor, well-placed sources said. “The black box was damaged,” Aviation Minister, Juan Edghill told ...

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The government is banking on a raft of public policy changes in its fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity, including a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and an upcoming ban on industrially produced trans fats, a forum revealed Thursday.

With lifestyle diseases accounting for nearly 80 per cent of deaths in the region, the government said it is addressing the root causes of unhealthy diets and lifestyles, particularly among children.

The policy measures were revealed during a forum, A Conversation on the Right to Health and the Right to Adequate and Nutritious Foods, held in observance of World Food Day on Wednesday. Organised by the Law and Health Research Unit at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill, the Ministry of Health, and the National Non-Communicable Disease Commission, the event brought together health officials, legal experts, economists, and representatives from international organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

In addition to the school nutrition policy, the government introduced a 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to curb the consumption of sugary drinks, a major contributor to obesity and diabetes.

Senior Medical Officer of Health, Dr Arthur Phillips, speaking on the success of the tax, said: “The tax did or was associated with… a decrease in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, [and] an increase in the consumption of water.”

However, he acknowledged that more can be done.

Barbados is now looking to refine its tax structure to further incentivise healthier choices.

“Taxes influence consumption, and this one has worked,” Dr Phillips added.

Another significant initiative is the planned ban on industrially produced trans fats, which are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The government is committed to enacting this ban by the end of 2025.

“Industrially produced trans fats significantly increase the risk of negative cardiovascular outcomes,” said Dr Phillips. “We’re working closely with food producers, and we are fortunate in that our major importers, producers, and processors are on board.”

While these policies represent important strides, affordability remains a key challenge. Economist Dr Antonio Alleyne highlighted the issue of high prices for healthy foods, which are often more expensive than ultra-processed alternatives.

“If you look at the taxation when it comes to healthy items compared to unhealthy items, it actually is much higher,” he explained. “With the advent or the advancement of technology, it allows us to produce more ultra-processed foods at a faster pace and at a cheaper pace.”

Dr Alleyne called for a balanced approach to addressing this disparity, suggesting a combination of taxation and other measures to make healthier foods more affordable.

“Unhealthy versus healthy prices are a very big issue…. What was proposed was we take that revenue loss [from reducing taxes on healthy foods] and implement it on the unhealthy items,” he suggested.

Nicole Foster, a lecturer in global health law at UWI, underscored the state’s legal obligation to ensure access to healthy food for its citizens.

“For every human right, there are three basic obligations that the state assumes: an obligation to respect that right, an obligation to protect that right, and an obligation to fulfil that right,” she said.

Foster also highlighted the government’s duty to regulate third-party actions that could harm public health: “Where third parties, including private actors, are carrying out activities which undermine the respective right, it is the obligation of the state to take action to rectify that.”

She further emphasised that while progress may take time, it is crucial to continue moving towards the goal of improving public health.

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Santo Domingo.- Health Minister Víctor Atallah emphasized a significant reduction in dengue cases, attributing this success to coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Health (MSP), other institutions, and the active involvement of the community in prevention measures. Despite predictions by PAHO/WHO of increased dengue incidence due to climate conditions, the Dominican Republic’s timely actions have effectively curbed the disease.

Atallah praised community participation in prevention, stating it was crucial in controlling dengue. He also urged continued efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites to prevent the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, responsible for dengue transmission.

The National Epidemiological Bulletin for week 40 reported no new dengue cases, a marked improvement from last year when 110 cases and two deaths were recorded. Other diseases like leptospirosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases also saw significant control. The bulletin highlighted improvements in public health surveillance, particularly through the work of the Dr. Defilló National Public Health Reference Laboratory, which has enhanced pathogen identification and response times.

The free mammogram screening initiative through the GHTA’s Tourism Enhancement Fund, reflects the association’s commitment to the well-being of its members and the broader community

View the full post Free mammogram screenings for GHTA Members on NOW Grenada.

As of Oct. 14, the state has had six confirmed and five possible human cases of bird flu, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

All of the affected individuals reportedly had direct contact with infected cattle at nine dairy farms, the department stated. 

FIRST CASE OF HUMAN BIRD FLU DIAGNOSED WITHOUT EXPOSURE TO INFECTED ANIMALS, CDC SAYS

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is conducting tests to confirm the five possible cases.

All the individuals experienced "mild symptoms," including eye redness or discharge (conjunctivitis), the CDPH stated. None were hospitalized. 

There is not a concern at this point about human-to-human transmission, according to the agency.

"Given the amount of exposure to infected cows, evidence continues to suggest only animal-to-human spread of the virus in California," said the CDPH statement. 

"Additionally, based on CDC’s genomic sequencing of three California bird flu cases, there is no evidence to suggest an increased ability for the virus to infect or spread between people and no known reduced susceptibility to antiviral medications."

IN A POTENTIAL OUTBREAK, IS BIRD FLU TESTING AVAILABLE FOR HUMANS? WHAT TO KNOW

As of Oct. 15, there were a total of 20 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the U.S., according to the CDC.

Colorado and California have had the most cases, with others reported in Michigan, Missouri and Texas, the same source stated.

Roughly half of those were linked to exposure to infected cattle and the other half to infected poultry. 

"To a large extent, the higher numbers we are seeing in California, and previously in Colorado, are due to more aggressive monitoring and case finding efforts in those states, rather than necessarily reflecting a larger burden of disease," Shira Doron, M.D., chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine Health System in Boston, told Fox News Digital.

"California has one of the more comprehensive programs to find avian influenza in its cattle herds, and when they find sick cows, they monitor exposed farm workers," she went on.

"The disease has been mostly very mild, so it will only be detected if looked for."

It’s not known whether the strain that is causing avian flu in cows will ever mutate into a strain that can be spread from human to human, according to Doron.

"Right now, with no evidence of human-to-human spread, it does not have the potential to become a human pandemic, but that could change," she told Fox News Digital.

"Obviously, scientists and public health officials should be concerned, and should take action to limit the spread of this disease in farm animals."

BIRD FLU PANDEMIC IN FUTURE? EU WARNS OF POTENTIAL SPREAD TO HUMANS DUE TO 'LACK OF IMMUNE DEFENSE’

Farm owners and farm workers should also be concerned, she said.

"They should be taking measures to protect those who work closely with animals, especially cows and chickens," Doron advised.

Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, said he finds the rising number of human H5N1 cases "concerning."

"The more spillovers to humans, the more chances there are for the wrong variant to find itself in a person and spark an epidemic," he told Fox News Digital.

There's currently no evidence, however, that the virus has mutated to become more infectious in humans, Scarpino said.

"Most likely, we are seeing the impact of an increasing number of infected dairy farms leading to an increasing number of human infections," he said.

"California also has active efforts for both human and dairy cattle surveillance, so ascertainment may be higher than in other states."

Although experts say the risk for human-to-human transmission remains low, they recommend certain public health precautions. 

"People who have close contact with animals, particularly farm animals and wild birds, should be taking precautions," Doron advised. 

CDC, WEBMD GIVE UPDATE ON CURRENT BIRD FLU OUTBREAK

The CDC also recommends that farm workers wear personal protective equipment — such as gloves, goggles and face shields — and that farms follow guidance to prevent the spread of the virus between animals.

"Even if a large outbreak isn't sparked, the risk to farm workers is clearly higher, and we need to ensure they are protected," Scarpino told Fox News Digital.

"At this point, there's no excuse for a farm worker to die from an H5N1 infection."

It’s also important for people to get their seasonal flu shot, experts say.

"While it is not likely to protect against avian flu, it will help people avoid being infected with the seasonal and avian strain at the same time, which can lead to genetic mixing and emergence of a pandemic strain," said Doron.

Getting the flu vaccine also makes it less likely that someone will end up with a suspected case of avian flu as a result of having the seasonal flu and a history of animal exposure, she added.

Vaccines for bird flu are currently in development.

"It is not time to vaccinate more broadly yet, given the small number of cases, absence of proven human-to-human transmission and mostly mild infection," said Doron.

It is important for tests to be commercially available for avian flu, however.

"Seasonal flu cases will be rising soon, and we will need to distinguish quickly between regular flu and avian flu, especially in animal workers," Doron noted.

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"Right now, to test for avian flu, specimens have to go to special public health labs and the results take days to return. We are going to need answers more quickly if we want people to be able to properly isolate and prevent spread."

The CDPH recommends that California residents monitor for bird flu symptoms for 10 days after exposure.

Those include eye redness (conjunctivitis), sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle or body aches, fatigue, headaches, trouble breathing and fever.

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"If they start to feel sick, they should immediately isolate, notify their local public health department, and work with public health and health care providers to get timely testing and treatment," the agency advises on its website.

The government is set to unveil sweeping changes to the island’s primary healthcare system in a bid to slash rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Minister of Health Senator Jerome Walcott has revealed.

Speaking at a ceremony honouring Sir Trevor Hassell for his work in NCD education, Walcott announced that the Ministry of Health is on the cusp of rolling out significant reforms aimed at reducing premature adult mortality from lifestyle diseases by a third.

The planned reforms are part of a broader initiative aimed at improving healthcare outcomes by focusing on early detection and prevention, rather than relying on tertiary care.

“I have a personal mandate that we should try to reduce the premature adult mortality from NCDs by a third. It is not impossible, it can be done, and in the course of the next few weeks, you will gradually see a rollout of parts of this process,” he said.

He highlighted that the reforms would include improvements in early prevention and detection systems.

“Everybody is focused on QEH and tertiary healthcare, but the fundamentals of healthcare have to do with primary healthcare – the ability of early prevention, and detection to get better health outcomes. We are looking at that in a project to be discussed soon,” Walcott added.

He also revealed that new screening programmes for various NCDs and cancers would soon be introduced. These include a colonic screening process, initially at two polyclinics, with plans to expand the service later. Additionally, cervical cancer screening and mammography services will be reinstated at the QEH, after having been discontinued in 2008.

“We are looking at the protocols for prostate cancer, recognising the anxiety of men as it comes to testing,” Walcott noted.

Sir Trevor, a former president of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, welcomed the recognition but stressed the ongoing work needed to combat NCDs. He called for the NCD Commission to take a more active role in policy decisions and to engage the private sector in promoting healthier lifestyles for Barbadians.

He said: “What the commission now needs to do in terms of fostering, facilitating, educating, encouraging [persons] are three fundamental things. Firstly, to assist in what I call the challenging political and policy decisions that need to be made around NCD prevention and treatment. Secondly, the commission is well-positioned to encourage, facilitate, and advocate for the private sector to play a more fundamental role in contributing to NCD prevention and control. Thirdly, yes, there is that role for the commission still to empower the people of Barbados by assisting them in becoming more health literate.”

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