“31 countries have reported outbreaks, more widespread and lethal than normal, and the figure is 50% higher than in previous years,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, warned at a press conference in 2022.

Tedros emphasized that Haiti, Syria, and Malawi are among the most affected countries and that the simultaneous outbreaks have resulted in a vaccine shortage, prompting the international immunization coordination mechanism to reduce the doses administered to each patient. 

“Despite this unprecedented measure, stocks remain very low and production is at its maximum capacity,” Tedros lamented, urging countries that have recently experienced outbreaks to step up prevention of potential new infections.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

As we move into any New Year, one tradition is to make a New Year’s resolution. Some social marketing research shows that a majority of these resolutions focus on improving personal health, such as losing some weight, doing more exercise, and paying more attention to eating and drinking habits. Gym registrations traditionally spike in January, but quickly taper off. Coming after a long season of gorging on food and drinks, a health resolution is a good idea, but for many it’s too little too late. A better idea would perhaps be to set health resolutions at the start of the festive season; after all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.  

In Barbados, the festive season seems to start around the middle of November, as our advertisers seem to merge Black Friday sales shopping, adopted from high-income countries, into Independence Day into Christmas and then New Year’s Day, to be shortly followed by Errol Barrow Day on January 21st. Through sales and other gimmicks, we are encouraged to ‘shop till you (or at least your money, including end-of-year bonuses) drop’ and generally fete, eat, drink and be merry. For too many people, this translates to about six to eight weeks of unbridled activity (while stocks and funds last). 

The food festivities start with Independence, with persons invited to sample as many conkies as possible to determine whose conkies, made with or without raisins, are the best. After ‘conkie season’, the Christmas season officially or unofficially starts: ham, stuffed turkey, jug-jug, black cake (often alcohol-infused) are washed down with sorrel, juices and a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. Mouth-watering desserts, including chocolates, sweets, biscuits and ice-creams, complete the feasts. The volumes of food and drink consumed are designed to keep our obesity figures as high as they are, in the top 20 of the world, and obese persons fuel our chronic non-communicable disease (CNDC) pandemic.

Therefore, we must reset our efforts at prevention and treatment of these CNDCs. Sure, many people behave like ‘one-day Christians’, who do many wrong things for six days a week, and on the seventh day suddenly remember the path to ‘health righteousness’. We have no shortage of speeches on the effect of the CNDCs on deaths, sickness and even the economy, in between a tsunami of advertisements that promote inappropriate health habits.

In the background, COVID-19 lurks. The pandemic may or may not be over, but the virus is still here. At a recent press conference, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer offered statistics to support a rising rate of documented COVID-19 infections on the island, even while admitting that fewer persons were coming forward for testing. Nonetheless, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) noted that there was a cessation of many of the official (‘mandatory’) COVID-19 protection measures from midnight the same day. This coincided with the day where the media were reporting and showing crowds of persons, mainly without masks, jamming into stores to take advantage of VAT-free
shopping. The media has also been showing crowds of un-masked persons enjoying various events, many of them indoors, apparently dismissive of the threat posed by COVID-19. It must be remembered that some people here remain unvaccinated, or have refused to get the booster shots. Vulnerable individuals, and this group includes the elderly and those harbouring CNDCs, are at increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

Worldwide, in spite of best efforts, which include mitigation measures, vaccinations, specific medications like antiviral medications and monoclonal antibody treatments [neither of which we could easily afford here], COVID-19 still kills about one in one hundred persons who contract the disease, with a higher rate in vulnerable persons.

The ‘mantra’ of our Ministry of Health (MOH) over the last three decades has been “Your health is your responsibility”. Philosophy: great. Is it working with the CNDC pandemic? There is no statistical evidence to support this (so the CMO has stopped releasing annual statistics). Will it work with the COVID-19 pandemic? The MOH has cut back on releasing the COVID-19 dashboard (daily statistics), which allowed anyone interested to keep track of the pandemic here. Official statistics to follow what is happening here are harder to come by, but a rising COVID-19 rate is likely.

The resumption of Q in the Community, a monthly physical activity event aimed at getting the elderly to become more physically active, is a good thing. It unfortunately had to be stopped at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is not so good now is that a high proportion of our elderly have one or more CNDCs, and are thus vulnerable to a serious health outcome. It is perhaps unfortunate that the crowds of elderly persons coming out to this function have generally declined to wear face masks.

Internationally, we see COVID-19 is on the rise again, with the emergence of new variants of the Omicron strain, specifically the XBB.1.5 which is surging in China, far away, and in the USA, much closer to us. But this virus has shown that geographic distance is no barrier to its spread. Vaccination, the three Ws – not Weekes, Worrell and Walcott but Wash your hands, Wear your mask and Watch your (social) distance – offer some protection. While the CMO has relaxed many restrictions, it should still be the case that ‘your health is your responsibility’. Act now.

At one stage in life, we were fearful that a masked person may cause you harm, and many still do, when our crime situation is being looked at. But now, no thanks to COVID-19, we are also fearful that unmasked persons may cause you harm as well.

So our health focus needs to last longer than the first week of a New Year, as many New Year Resolutions do. The CNDCs have caused, and continue to cause, significant suffering and death, and have overwhelmed our health care services. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. As a disease, COVID-19 creates many health problems, but among other issues it makes the CNDCs worse, and actually accelerates the demise of many CNDC patients. And right now, another ‘virus’ has crippled our main hospital, making life and death even harder for anyone who becomes ill.

We must embrace healthy eating, get adequate amounts of both sleep and exercise, and make sure we keep our weight under control. In conjunction with your personal physician, we must ensure that your blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol are kept within your target range. “Thou shalt not smoke”, and if you must drink, practice moderation. Ensure that your COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date, and practise all COVID-19 prevention measures. Our resolution is to be healthy all year round.

Dr. Colin V. Alert, MB BS, DM. is a family physician and associate UWI family medicine lecturer.

The post #BTColumn – We need action, not (empty) resolutions! appeared first on Barbados Today.

e, Livestock, and the Environment of the affected countries. “We want to appeal to the public to calm down. We have been actively warning about this situation since March of this year, particularly last September due to the start of bird migrations from North America to South America,” said Andrés González, FAO Livestock, Animal Health, and Biodiversity Officer.

“We have active coordination with international organizations, and we are managing ways to assist recently affected countries,” he added. He also stated that there is no scientific evidence that HPAI is transmitted to humans through the consumption of birds or properly prepared eggs. González explained that the countries’ prevention, early detection, and response plans are being supported in the regional emergency of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza with the assistance of national representations, through an incident command group led by the FAO’s Animal Health division, and in close coordination with the regional steering committee of the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Diseases of Animals (GF-TADs).

Latin America and the Caribbean produce 20.4% of the world’s poultry meat and 10% of the world’s eggs, making this a vital sector for the livelihoods of millions of small and medium-sized agricultural producers. As a result, it is critical to activate the region’s emergency protocols as soon as possible.

By Michron Robinson

Education on substance abuse at all levels of society is critical. That’s according to Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams who was speaking to Barbados TODAY after a special church service on Sunday marking the start of Drug Awareness Month at the Church of the Nazarene at Collymore Rock.

He noted that because people don’t understand the effects of substance abuse, its troubling nature is downplayed. “Unless people are educated on what to look for, they may dismiss it as something else. We need to advise and educate ourselves. We need to spot substance abuse in our families, in our communities and even teachers need to spot it in schools… and from as young an age as possible. A lot of Bajans think it is cool to smoke weed, to sneak a drink, to smoke cigarettes, but our children need to be given the information [so they] understand the dangers of it,” he urged. 

While recalling that the majority of persons impacted by substance abuse are males, the Minister of Home Affairs said the NCSA will be working towards spreading the word.

“This is the month that the NCSA is focusing on getting the message out, across to the people. Nine out of ten people who have substance abuse problems are males. That’s a reality we cannot escape. During this month – look out we will put a lot of information out there,” he promised.

The Minister added that the Christian church has an important role to play in wrestling Barbados’ crime problem to the ground. “One of the greatest social organisations is the church, historically and in Barbadian culture, most of us have come up in the church, we get our grounding in the church, we learn our ethics and our values from our grandparents and the church. I believe the church has a significant role to play in the fight against substance abuse,” he said.

Pastor of the Church of the Nazarene Reverend David Holder promised his church would do more to help those with drug abuse. “Our gospel is about changing lives. The church now has to get more involved in the community. We need to get out and that is one of the things we intend to do at Collymore Rock – help them through the gospel,” Holder said. (MR)

The post Education key to curbing substance abuse – Minister Abrahams appeared first on Barbados Today.

Estrella explained that the ministry maintains house-to-house operations in areas such as La Zurza and Capotillo, where a random survey of 68 samples was conducted, collecting samples from both symptomatic patients and those who did not present themselves at the Hospital. “Of these tests, we have only four positives. Two of them were completely asymptomatic patients, and two were hospitalized patients” (Goico).

According to the doctor, Public Health collaborates with the Corporation of Aqueduct and Sewerage of Santo Domingo (CAASD) and the ministries of Education, Environment, and Public Works to develop disease promotion and prevention efforts. “We’re waiting for permission to build the bridge and move the dredgers and equipment to the area to start dredging a large portion of La Isabela that adjoins the La Zurza sector,” she explained. Similarly, Estrella assured that they are looking for efficient ways to dump solid waste and improve the quality of La Poza’s waters.

“We are watching every area along the river’s banks,” she said again. Concerning the spread of bacteria in areas other than the riverbank, such as Villas Agrcolas and San Carlos, the doctor stated, “the fact that I live in one sector does not mean that I do not move to another.” Eladio Pérez, Vice Minister of Collective Health, recalled that in neighboring Haiti, more than 24,000 cases had already been reported, with over 450 people dying.

“The more the epidemiological curve develops in the neighboring country, the more likely it is that it will occur in ours,” he said.

Thousands of Barbadian men as young as 40 have a specific DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule gene that predisposes them to the development of prostate cancer.

This major discovery came out of a recent trial undertaken by the Barbados Cancer Society in conjunction with top researchers from the United States.

The presence of the molecule is most common in families and is considered a genetic disease, the study determined.

Some 565 over-40 men consented to the trial which started in April 2020 and ended in April 2022. From that testing, it was determined that 76 of the participants would develop prostate cancer in the future.

This was disclosed by the society’s president Professor R. David Rosin during a press conference held on Tuesday at the headquarters on Lower Collymore Rock, St Michael.

He said the trial was conducted with the support of Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Yale University Irvin Modlin and Laboratory and Scientific Director at Wren Laboratories Mark Kidd. It was the largest trial in the world for screening prostate cancer in men of African descent using genomics.

Rosin explained that genomics is a relatively new approach to discovering diseases using specific findings in the blood and saliva.

“Prostatic cancer has the highest cancer numbers in Barbados. It’s number one. One hundred and fifteen men a year die from the disease and 320 men, in the last statistics in 2018, actually get the disease,” he said. “Prostate cancer is usually a slow growing cancer in men over the age of 65 with a low death rate compared to most other cancers, however, in men of African descent it occurs in younger men and tends to be more aggressive.”

Rosin said that by using genomics, men could now learn if they are predisposed to prostate cancer even before the cancer presents itself in the body.

“The trial has shown that men as young as 40 can be carrying this molecule signature, almost always because their father or their grandfather, close relatives, have suffered from the disease . . . It is most common in families and is a genetic disease. We have shown that men who have a positive PROSTest, the molecule signature, have a normal PSA (prostate-specific antigen), no symptoms, no signs and [no] readings on the screens.

“So we are finding people who are carrying this gene and who we know will ultimately develop prostate cancer.”

The cancer society head noted that generally, men 60 and over are usually screened for prostate cancer and the society accepts men 50 and over.

However, he said that based on the findings of the research, men as young as 40 should get screened.

“I think this trial has proved that we are going to have to lower the bar and start screening people from the age of 40.”

Given that the number of men with prostate cancer is increasing every ten years, Rosin called on males to get tested.

“We should be alarmed that it is too strong and I think we should be vigilant as to how we are going to investigate and treat these men. Screening of all cancers is the way forward…

“We should be screening people to ensure that we find the disease as early as possible. That is going to decrease the mortality and morbidity because of less aggressive treatment.”

While those in the trial were tested free of cost, the price tag on the DNA molecule test is US$500.

Rosin said any males wanting to get the test done could visit the society, pay the required sum and the organisation would facilitate it. The tests are only conducted at Wren Laboratories.

Rosin told the press conference, the society would soon be carrying out another trial for colon cancer, which will test 600 volunteers.

Colon cancer is the second most prevalent cancer in Barbados and it affects both men and women.

The third most prevalent cancer is breast cancer.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

The post Men as young as 40 prompted to test for prostate disease appeared first on Barbados Today.

View the full post Grenada yet to identify marijuana/cannabis niche market on NOW Grenada.

“The aim of the project is to be the centerpiece of the development of the Education, Health, and Wellness Sectors,” said the Estimates.

View the full post Medical and Teaching Hospital to be built on private lands on NOW Grenada.

Brill, whose family hails from Puerto Rico, knows that just discussing the term in some Spanish-speaking cultures is so frowned upon that many callers are too scared to even admit that they’re calling for themselves.

Read the rest…

“The fact that cholera is going in crescendo shows shortcomings, those same places that today are showing sick patients and some deceased, are the same as in 2010,” he said, also questioning the action taken by the Social Security System at that time, since today the indicators are the same and “we are worse off”. In addition, the union leader stated that they will carry out several actions in the La Zurza sector, such as a new analysis of the water to determine the particles that inhabit it, “so that the population sees the truth of the Medical College.”

The State intervened after three cases of the disease in the last sweep in various neighborhoods such as the Nuevo Domingo Sabio Project, the former La Ciénaga, and Los Guandules, as well as Capotillo, El 24 de Abril, Gualey, Simón Bolivar, and Villas Agricolas. However, according to residents of Villas Agricolas, it took them a long time to get there, and some are still unaware of the government entities’ movements in their communities to stop the cholera outbreak. Although the only cases still active in the country are in La Zurza and Villas Agricolas, where the outbreak’s first and only death occurred last Thursday, the other four locations were also intervened in over the weekend, according to Public Health.

The director of Health Area IV, Jesus Suard, confirmed that 300 people were ready to form brigades that rummaged through neighborhoods looking for suspected cases, that is, people with chronic diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and other symptoms. Suard stated that the teams that conduct house-to-house visits also educate the population on cholera prevention, but that in most of the allegedly affected areas, people are unaware of the Ministry’s movements.