Director of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) School of Nursing in Trinidad, Dr Oscar Ocho says nurses in the Caribbean are more academically qualified but cannot put the theory into practice, resulting in the need for a study on the impact of professionalisation on the profession. “We are churning out professional nurses who ...

Egypt has been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) – an achievement hailed by the UN public health agency as “truly historic”.

“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Egyptian authorities launched their first efforts to stamp out the deadly mosquito-borne infectious disease nearly 100 years ago.

Certification is granted when a country proves that the transmission chain is interrupted for at least the previous three consecutive years. Malaria kills at least 600,000 people every year, nearly all of them in Africa.

In a statement on Sunday, the WHO praised “the Egyptian government and people” for their efforts to “end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times”.

It said Egypt was the third country to be certified in the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

Globally, 44 countries and one territory have reached this milestone.

But the WHO said the certification was only “the beginning of a new phase”, urging Egypt to be on the alert to preserve its malaria-free status.

To get the WHO certification, a country must demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.

The UN public health agency said first efforts to limit human-mosquito contact in Egypt began in the 1920s when it banned rice cultivation and agricultural crops near homes.

Malaria is caused by a complex parasite which is spread by mosquito bites.

Vaccines are now being used in some places – but monitoring the disease and avoiding mosquito bites are the most effective ways to prevent malaria.

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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 ...

View the full post Empowering Girls Project: Focus on personal hygiene and menstruation on NOW Grenada.

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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

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