A Public Health Nurse, who was in Berbice to inspect progress being made in vaccinating people against the human papillomavirus (HPV), was found dead in a hotel room in New Amsterdam on Thursday morning, police said. He was identified as 63-year-old Wilton Longford Benn who resided at 82 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown. Police said that ...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has advised that a statement currently circulating about a case of mpox, (previously known as monkey pox), is not current.

The information in question comes from a statement made by former Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill in July 22, 2022.

The Ministry would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on mpox, verifying that, currently, there are no known active cases on island. Since the initial case in 2022, there have been two additional imported cases. One was recorded in January 2024, and the second one, six weeks ago. Contact tracing indicates that there was no in country spread.

The World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization have advised that vaccines are not currently required in low-risk settings such as Barbados. However, Barbados is part of a global community of nations and is, therefore, not exempt from the possibility of mpox and other public health threats.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue to take all reasonable measures to protect the public from the importation and spread of mpox. (MHW/BGIS)

The post No active cases of Mpox in Barbados, says health ministry appeared first on Barbados Today.

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health announced that no new monkeypox cases have been reported since April 2024. Despite this, the Ministry has heightened epidemiological surveillance as a preventive measure following a World Health Organization emergency declaration urging countries to take precautionary steps.

As of week 33 in 2024, the country has recorded a total of eight confirmed monkeypox cases, with no signs of community transmission. The Ministry confirmed that vaccines are available, and over 2,000 people, particularly those in high-risk groups, have been vaccinated since 2022.

The public is advised to avoid direct skin contact with individuals showing smallpox-like rashes and to be cautious with items used by infected persons. Regular hand washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizers is also recommended to reduce the risk of infection. Monkeypox typically presents with rashes or lesions, especially on the face, hands, and feet.

Foods that contain soluble and insoluble fibre to promote a healthy gut include fruit, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beans, nuts and seeds, oats and grains

View the full post Foods that promote a healthy gut system on NOW Grenada.

Dr Shirley Jhagroo, medical coordinator of the BCS’s breast screening programme, said due to a number of initiatives, such as the Walk for the Cure organised by CIBC First Caribbean, more Barbadian women were coming forward for important checks. Additionally, there was a major rise in the number of people conducting self tests, Dr Jhagroo said.

She stated that as a result the vast majority of breast lumps were discovered by the patients, with most cancer cases discovered in the early stages.

“Statistics now show that 80 per cent of breast lumps are found by the patient themselves. Thanks to the awareness, more than 40 per cent of patients attending the early detection clinic for screening or diagnoses are self-referred,” she explained. “This number has been increasing yearly, and so does the number of positive cases. Fortunately, most patients with positive diagnosis are at stages 0, 1 and 2, giving these patients almost 98 per cent to 100 per cent five-year survival.”

Dr Jhagroo noted that currently 700 mammograms and 130 ultrasounds are conducted at the clinic monthly, with 147 cases recorded in 2023, up from the 135 cases recorded the previous year.

The medical coordinator made the disclosure at the official launch of this year’s Walk for Cure at the CIBC First Caribbean, Warrens Great House offices with organisers saying they were hoping to raise over $200,000 this year to support cancer care and prevention efforts across the island.

CIBC’s managing director for Barbados and the OECS Donna Wellington told journalists that since its launch in 2012, the walk has raised over USD$4 million.

“Every penny raised and donated has been shared among cancer care organisations and charities committed to the prevention and early detection of the disease, to education and outreach and to the care of persons with cancer and their families that are impacted,” Wellington said.

She indicated that the effort raised Bds$200,000 last year, all of which went to the breast screening programme. “We are optimistic that we will reach and surpass our goal this year,” the banking executive said, adding that the monies raised this year will go towards the purchase of a new US$250,000 picture archiving and communication system to replace the  15-year-old system at the BCS.

This year’s Walk for the Cure event will take place on October 6, with participants leaving the CIBC’s corporate headquarters in Warrens at 3:50 p.m. for the 5k run and 4 p.m. for the 5k walk.

T-shirts can be pre-ordered from the breast screening programme offices or at upcoming CIBC pop-up stalls.

The post Breast cancer awareness drives early detection appeared first on Barbados Today.

Sleep medicine is a relatively new specialty in medicine, with literally just a couple of medical practitioners here trained in this new area. However, what happens (or doesn’t happen) when you sleep one night has a significant effect on what happens (or doesn’t happen) next day when one is awake, or tries to stay awake. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you were sleeping. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise the risk of chronic health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

Sleep affects various aspects of your overall health, from your mood to your immune system. When you don’t get enough sleep, you experience sleep deprivation. Signs of sleep deprivation can include:

• Difficulty concentrating during the day
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Forgetfulness or poor memory

Tips for a “Good Night’s Sleep”.

• Get more sleep- ideally aim for 7-9 hours every night.
• The bed and bedroom should be cool, quiet, dark and comfortable.
• A consistent sleep schedule is important, with regular bedtime and waking (except when the Olympics are on television all through the night).
• The 3,2,1 rule: No physical activity for 3 hours before bedtime, no heavy meals for 2 hours before bedtime, and no electronics, including television, video, telephone, smartphone or radio 1 hour before bedtime. On the other hand, people who include regular physical activity into their daily routines tend to be better sleepers.
• The bed should be reserved for only two activities that start with the letter ‘S’: sleep and sex. It is hoped that sickness, which also starts with an ‘S’, does not keep you in bed too long.
• A cool bath, and a warm drink, may help you relax before bedtime. However, drinks containing caffeine or theophylline (coffee, tea and ‘black’ soft drinks), and alcohol, should be avoided.
• If you sleep in the day, even a brief nap, this may affect your ability to fall asleep at night. Avoid taking naps close to your bedtime.
• (Easier to say than to do but) avoid taking your daytime problems to bed with you. Stress can be a major destroyer of sleep patterns.

Over time, chronic sleep deprivation is linked to health conditions like diabetes, depression, obesity, dementia and cardiovascular diseases. Some of these diseases are associated with fatal outcomes so literally ‘not getting proper sleep can kill you’. In these situations, the physician has to treat both the actual condition and the underlying sleep deprivation for optimal management. One night of poor sleep can affect you the next day. Many poor nights of sleep can affect you for a lifetime.

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

The post Sleep and Health. appeared first on Barbados Today.

View the full post CARPHA urges vigilance following WHO Declaration on Mpox on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo, DR – President Luis Abinader said today that the Dominican Republic has reduced malnourishment by 45% in terms of food, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The president assured that the country has managed to reduce the percentage of the undernourished population from 8.3% in the 2018-2020 period to 4.6% in the 2021-2023 period.

After highlighting other advances, Abinader pointed out that employment today registers a record number of active workers in the labor market and that unemployment has been reduced to 5% during the last three years.

The president said that the average minimum wage has grown 14% above inflation, thus improving the purchasing power of Dominican workers.

“It is no coincidence, therefore, that the Dominican Republic is today in the category of High Human Development in the United Nations index, and that in recent years we are one of the few countries in the world that have climbed positions,” he said when he was sworn in for a new presidential term.

He said that in 3, the Dominican Republic’s GDP per capita reached US$11,200, “consolidating us as a middle-income economy.”

AGRICULTURE WILL BE A PRIORITY

Regarding agriculture, the president stressed that the goal is full development and support and that strengthening the agricultural sector will continue to be a priority of the government.

He indicated that the agricultural policy he has implemented has been fundamental to guaranteeing the country’s food security and maintaining producers’ profitability.

He pointed out that according to the United States Department of Agriculture, for the first time, in the current year 2024, the country will exceed US$1,800 million in exports of agricultural goods to that country, including beef, whose market has been reopened after being closed for more than 20 years.

However, he specified: “I am aware that the impact of extreme atmospheric phenomena on our agriculture as a result of Climate Change, forces us to dedicate more and more resources to the development of infrastructures and technologies that contribute to strengthening the resilience that our agricultural sector has shown to have and increase the efficiency and productivity of the resources we dedicate to it.”

He maintained that financing has been a critical piece of agricultural policy in his administration.

He added that the credit program with rates and conditions adapted to agriculture has made it possible to position agriculture as one of the economic activities that attracts the most investment and development in the country and that this new government will continue to strengthen credit and channel the resources required to guarantee the profitability and sustainability of agriculture.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, made the declaration on Wednesday, citing rising incidence of mpox and fatalities in some sub-Saharan African countries due to a new variant (Clade I).

The announcement came just a day before Sweden confirmed its first case of the highly infectious variant.

In response to the WHO’s declaration, the University of the West Indies (UWI) has pledged to dedicate its research expertise to address this challenge. The university said it would work with regional partners, leveraging cutting-edge virus sequencing technologies acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We currently have the capabilities in our laboratories to make rapid and accurate diagnosis of mpox and will work closely with regional Ministries of Health, the Caribbean Public Health Authority (CARPHA), and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to respond to any introduction of the virus in the region,” a UWI spokesperson said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said the WHO’s designation signals the need for countries worldwide to enhance surveillance and implement preventative measures. He noted that the declaration also enables the WHO to access emergency funding for an improved global response.

“The designation by the WHO is a signal that countries across the globe should enhance surveillance and implement preventative measures to help persons protect themselves from the possibility of infection,” Dr George said.

Mpox is described as a highly infectious disease spread through close contact, including intimate or sexual contact with an infected person, and through contact with contaminated materials such as bedding or clothing. The illness typically begins with flu-like symptoms followed by a characteristic rash.

Whilst no acute infections have been reported in Barbados, the ministry has urged both public and private sector physicians to remain vigilant, conduct tests according to protocol, and report suspected cases. Environmental and nursing staff at the island’s ports of entry have been instructed to increase their vigilance.

Health authorities emphasised that those most vulnerable to severe illness include children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. They advise anyone with a travel history who develops an unusual rash to seek immediate medical attention.

Although there is no specific treatment for mpox, the spread can be contained through the isolation of infected individuals for 21 days and supportive medical care. Mild and moderate cases can be managed at home under isolation. (BT/BGIS)

The post Disease surveillance steps up following emergency declaration appeared first on Barbados Today.

“Eating at least one well-balanced meal each day can go a long way in ensuring that you get the right amount of nutrients and minerals your body needs to function”

View the full post Energy boosting foods on NOW Grenada.