Barbados stands at the cusp of making history. With smoking rates at just 6.4% of adults, the nation has achieved the lowest smoking prevalence in the Caribbean region. Yet despite this success, thousands of Barbadian lives remain at risk, and the path to becoming truly smoke-free lies within the nation’s grasp.

Recent analysis from international health experts at “Smoke Free Sweden” reveals a stark reality: more than 14 million lives can be saved globally by 2060 if governments act decisively to integrate tobacco harm reduction into traditional control methods. For Barbados, this represents an unprecedented opportunity to become the Caribbean’s first smoke-free nation by embracing less harmful nicotine alternatives like vapes and oral nicotine pouches.

The evidence supporting harm reduction is compelling. In the United Kingdom, smoking rates fell by 41% as vaping became a popular alternative. Japan saw cigarette sales plummet by more than 40% following the introduction of heated tobacco products. Most remarkably, Sweden has become the world’s first officially smoke-free nation, with just 4.5% of Swedish-born adults smoking, achieving smoking-related death rates that are the lowest in the European Union.

Dr Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden and former secretary general of the World Medical Association, puts it plainly: “Policymakers face a clear choice: lead a public health revolution or fail their citizens.” The strategies to make smoking obsolete by making less harmful alternatives accessible, affordable and acceptable are proven.

For Barbados, the numbers are encouraging. With 11% of men still smoking, targeted harm reduction policies could drive these numbers below the 5% threshold that defines a smoke-free society. The gender gap in the smoking rates, where only 1.7% of women smoke compared to 11.7% of men, suggests that tailored approaches focusing on male smokers could yield dramatic results.

However, Barbados faces a critical challenge at the upcoming 11th Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva this November. The WHO has consistently promoted prohibitionist approaches that deny smokers access to products that are 95% less harmful than cigarettes. This ideological stance effectively protects the cigarette trade by limiting access to less harmful alternatives.

The WHO’s preliminary agenda for COP11 reveals a troubling bias, referring to harm reduction as merely the “tobacco industry’s narrative” and framing the entire discussion defensively rather than engaging with the mounting scientific evidence. This approach ignores the fundamental truth that people smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar in cigarettes.

Barbados must join other forward-thinking nations in pushing back against this outdated approach. At COP10, several countries, including New Zealand, the Philippines, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, made constructive, evidence-based comments supporting harm reduction. Saint Kitts and Nevis even proposed establishing a Working Group dedicated to tobacco harm reduction, though this proposal has been conspicuously absent from the COP11 agenda.

A look at Barbados’ neighbours in Trinidad and Tobago shows that they face an even starker reality, with nearly 30% of men smoking. Regional cooperation on harm reduction policies could save thousands of lives across the Caribbean while establishing the region as a global leader in pragmatic public health approaches.

The upcoming COP11 conference presents Barbados with a platform to champion science over ideology. The national delegation must advocate for transparent, evidence-based tobacco control measures that include harm reduction strategies. By doing so, Barbados can lead not just the Caribbean but serve as a model for smaller nations worldwide.

The evidence is clear, the tools are available, and the potential for saving lives is immense. Barbados must act decisively at COP11 to ensure that public health, not prohibitionist ideology, guides global tobacco control policy. The citizens deserve nothing less than the most effective, science-based approaches to ending smoking once and for all.

The post Barbados can lead the Caribbean to a smoke-free future appeared first on Barbados Today.

Disease risk factors are characteristics or behaviours that increase a person’s chance of developing a particular disease. Not everyone who has a disease risk factor will develop the disease, and there are some people who develop a specific disease without having a disease risk factor.

That said, in our population, the main diseases are the non-communicable diseases (NCDs), like heart diseases and strokes, and cancers. Indeed, in Barbados over the last decade, we average just over a heart attack a day and two strokes every three days.

Not everyone dies after having their first heart attack or stroke, but each month, at least 20 people die after having a heart attack and another 20 die after having a stroke.

The main disease risk factors for the NCDs include a family history, getting older, being overweight or obese, being inactive, unhealthy eating habits, drinking alcohol and cigarette smoking. Some of these cannot be modified or changed, such as getting older or changing your family, but, for the most part, the other disease risk factors can be modified or changed. If you have hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol, you are perhaps many steps closer to having a full-blown heart attack or stroke, or (heaven forbid) even sudden death. Reaching this point depends largely on your eating, drinking and exercise habits.

So, for example, drinking alcohol increases your risk of having a heart attack. Similarly, being overweight or obese increases your chance of having a heart attack. In fact, the bigger you are, the greater the risk. But if you have two risk factors, such as being an alcohol drinker as well as being overweight or obese, the risk of a heart attack just doesn’t double, but jumps up significantly. Thus, one risk factor plus one risk factor does not just double the risk for a heart attack or stroke, but may increase this risk fivefold.

While normal arithmetic suggests that one plus one equals two, this does not hold for disease risk factors. One disease risk factor plus another disease risk factor may increase the risk of a disease more than two times, for example.

Someone with three risk factors, for example, may have a tenfold (or higher) risk of developing a particular disease.

Learning about your risk factors can help you make informed decisions about your health and lifestyle. It allows you to take steps to reduce your risk, such as making changes to your diet or quitting smoking.  Knowing your risk factors can also help you and your family doctor monitor your health more closely and potentially prevent a disease, or catch a disease early, when it may be reversed or easily treated and controlled.

We now know that some of the ‘modifiable’ risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, poor diet, inactivity and overweight/obesity, are also the risk factors for many (but not all) cancers. Thus, if we wish to lower our rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer, we must address the risk factor stage of many conditions before they become full-blown diseases that are often difficult to reverse.

As far as cardiovascular diseases are concerned, over the last decade, scientists have developed “Cardiovascular Risk Tables”, which allow doctors to ‘tally’ the cardiovascular risk of individuals, and calculate the chance of that individual having a major cardiovascular event (like a heart attack or stroke) in the next ten years, for example.

This then allows the doctor-patient to identify specific targets, e.g. lose 10 lbs, and lower your systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHG, to lower the chance that you would develop a major cardiovascular event.

The Pan American Health Organisation, PAHO, has introduced a cardiovascular risk calculator called Cardiocal, for specific countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Barbados. This was part of the Hearts in the Americas programme, aiming to promote the adoption of best practices in the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Use of this calculator should give doctors and their patients targets that can eventually reduce the risk of a major cardiovascular event, lower the overload at the Accident and Emergency Department, and lower the suffering and deaths associated with these major cardiovascular events.

The latest hypertension guidelines, the first ‘upgrade’ since 2017, were endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), released a few days ago, suggest individual treatment guidelines based on an individual’s cardiovascular risk calculated in a table called PREVENT. PREVENT, unlike Cardiocal, is not calibrated for Latin America and Caribbean use. These 2025 updates represent a more aggressive approach towards managing high blood pressure, based on the latest research. But in the Caribbean, we should still be using Cardiocal.

These are also risk factor calculators for kidney (renal) disease and a few other conditions, but at this time, these do not seem to be in widespread use, perhaps until they are calibrated for specific populations.

Thus, a ‘touch of sugar’, plus a ’touch of pressure’ and only ‘one or two drinks’ can send you on a one-way trip to the local cemetery. A little bit of laziness plus a little bit of ‘lickrishness’ add up to big trouble, as far as ‘life and death’ are concerned. Beware disease risk factors.

Dr Colin V Alert is a family physician and former researcher with the Chronic Disease Research Centre.

The post One plus one equals trouble: The hidden math of disease risk appeared first on Barbados Today.

Barbadian businesses must play a greater role in protecting young people from unhealthy choices within schools, says President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Paul Inniss.

Speaking during a Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) webinar themed Back to School, Back to Health: Nothing at School Should Encourage Unhealthy Choices, Inniss said closer collaboration between the private sector, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders is needed to create effective solutions.

“I’m actually working through trying to coordinate between business, the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders… how can we pool resources and become more effective in [managing] the concerns around companies that actually pitch to our kids unhealthy foods and so forth. It is a balancing act… quite frankly, in talking to a lot of them, they actually want to be part of the solution as well. I don’t think we have figured it out,” he admitted.

Inniss noted that while companies like Sagicor have long supported schools by donating equipment or funding, there is room for businesses to go further.

“For companies like Sagicor, we started adopting schools. But no school has ever said to us, ‘Why can’t we devise a health programme?’ Maybe that is where we partner with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, HCC and others to actually be part of what is happening within the schools,” he said.

He also cautioned against fragmented approaches, stating, “Too many agencies are coming into business houses, independently, and everybody’s trying to achieve the same result, and there’s limited resources, limited capacity. You have to find a way to harness the resources and actually focus them where they are needed.”

The call comes against the backdrop of growing concern about how marketing and food environments exploit the vulnerabilities of young people.

Caribbean Vice-President of the International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH), Dr Asha Pemberton, stressed that children and adolescents are neurologically wired to gravitate towards products that make them feel good.

“The frontal lobe… is simply not complete in maturation until age 25. So young people do things that feel good over and over… and that is exploited by all the industries. The food industry knows this because ultra-processed products taste good, they’re crunchy, they’re sweet, they’re salty [and] their dopamine drive happens. They are uniquely targeted,” she explained.

Dr Pemberton argued that it is unfair to place the responsibility solely on young people. 

“The simplistic ‘just make better choices’ only goes so far. We have to recognise that these are children and adolescents. Unless our environment, through a comprehensive ban, removes these items from their most intimate environment—and their school is one—it really becomes difficult to ask a developing brain to make these choices one by one,” he said.

Dr Pemberton said it is ultimately the responsibility of adults, caregivers, policymakers and businesses to create supportive spaces: “We cannot ask them to make decisions that they don’t have the capacity to do. We have to create an environment that is best supportive of their health and development.” (SB)

The post Businesses urged to promote healthy eating among youth appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed the reassignment of six nurses from the Geriatric Hospital to district facilities in St Lucy and St Philip, but insists the move was not punitive. 

Permanent Secretary Wayne Marshall on Thursday rejected claims of victimisation, saying the decision was driven by urgent staffing needs and a commitment to maintaining safe, high-quality care across the public health system.

Marshall was responding to concerns raised in letters from two trade unions, which suggested the transfers were linked to nurses’ complaints about patient allocation during a recent scabies outbreak at the Geriatric Hospital. He maintained that the reassignments were solely intended to address acute shortages at the district hospitals, and pointed out that staff had previously been redeployed in the opposite direction to support the Geriatric Hospital during similar circumstances.

The ministry remains focused on balancing resources across facilities, Marshall said, adding that the affected nurses were notified both verbally and in writing at least two weeks prior to the effective date.

He also addressed union concerns about the handling of the outbreak, stating that all actions taken, including patient relocations, were guided by medical and infection control professionals.

“Measures such as patient relocations were carried out to facilitate proper isolation, treatment, and sanitisation, ensuring the safety of both patients and staff,” he said.  

Marshall further asserted that there was no serious threat to health or safety as a result of the ministry’s decisions.

Acknowledging an administrative oversight, the permanent secretary confirmed that incorrect legislation had been cited in letters issued to the nurses, but assured that corrected correspondence would be provided. 

He emphasised that the reassignments were within his authority and did not infringe on the rights of any officer.

The ministry has already met with senior union officials and plans to convene an additional meeting in response to the most recent correspondence. Written responses will also be issued to formally outline its position.

The National Union of Public Workers, had flagged growing unrest at the Geriatric Hospital, with Acting General Secretary Wayne Walrond saying nurses were surprised by the timing and lack of formal documentation, and believed they were being penalised for raising concerns about the outbreak’s management. (EJ)

The post ‘Not punishment’: Ministry explains nurse reassignments appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has hailed the 24-hour mental health hotline as a vital service for the island’s most vulnerable students, urging the government to further expand youth-focused support amid a sharp rise in calls from young people.

Responding to new statistics from Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George showing that the hotline has handled more than 6 500 calls in just over a year, and that the number of people seeking mental health support has doubled since the pandemic, BUT President Rudy Lovell said the service highlights the growing demand for accessible mental health care.

“Particularly striking is the revelation that 40 per cent of these calls have come from children and teenagers,” Lovell told Barbados TODAY.

“This underscores what teachers and school leaders have long observed, that many of our young people are grappling with immense pressures, often silently. The hotline provides them with a safe, confidential space to reach out for help at any hour of the day or night.”

Lovell’s comments come against the backdrop of violent altercations at several schools over the last academic year, which included not only student-on-student violence, but also incidents of student-on-teacher aggression.

Schools cannot simply focus on academic achievement, as emotional and psychological support is needed to help nurture well-rounded citizens, he insisted.

Lovell said: “As educators, we recognise that academic success is inseparable from emotional and psychological well-being. We therefore applaud this initiative and encourage its continued strengthening, particularly in the areas of youth outreach, school partnerships, and awareness campaigns that destigmatise mental health challenges.

“The Barbados Union of Teachers pledges its support in working alongside health professionals, families, and communities to ensure that every child knows help is available and that no student feels alone in moments of crisis.” (SB)

The post BUT backs hotline in urgent call for youth mental health support appeared first on Barbados Today.

Stating that “difficult conversations can save lives”, the head of a youth-led mental health advocacy group has urged young Caribbean advocates to embrace open dialogue and shared responsibility in tackling suicide prevention.

Dr David Johnson, president of Let’s Unpack It, was speaking at Suicide Prevention: A Conversation with Caribbean Youth, a youth-focused forum held ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

The event brought together young people from across the region to confront stigma, share experiences and push for systemic change.

“In a region where suicide is still treated as a taboo topic, where young people are facing a myriad number of challenges and stressors that heighten their risk, and where we’re still lagging behind on the implementation of national suicide prevention strategies, your presence here signals that you care,” Johnson told participants gathered at the Barbados office of the Pan American Health Organisation.

He urged attendees not to treat the conversation as a one-off observance, but as a catalyst for action.

“These spaces are not just about marking a day,” he said. “They’re about reevaluating our approach, changing the narrative around suicide, and mobilising the systemic change that will make it easier for young people to access life-saving care and support.”

Johnson emphasised that suicide prevention is not solely the responsibility of governments or health professionals.

“Let us embrace it as a moral responsibility that falls on all of us,” Johnson said. “It starts with how we show up for each other, how we listen, how we notice changes, and how we respond when someone is hurting.”

He urged young people to build strong communities of support and not shy away from uncomfortable moments. “Difficult conversations can save lives,” he said.

Johnson also called on Caribbean governments to strengthen their efforts by adopting evidence-based strategies grounded in the World Health Organisation’s Live Life approach – strategies that empower young people to claim their right to mental health and access high-quality care without fear or stigma. (SB)

The post Youth advocates urged to lead the charge on suicide prevention appeared first on Barbados Today.

Health authorities on Monday intensified calls for vigilance in Barbados amid regional outbreaks of chikungunya and new Oropouche virus cases, warning that the country’s tropical conditions leave it vulnerable despite no current outbreaks here.

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) on Friday called for reinforcement of surveillance, clinical management, and vector control to tackle these outbreaks across the Americas. PAHO cautioned that the simultaneous presence of these and other arboviruses increases the risk of outbreaks, severe complications, and fatalities among vulnerable populations.

While Barbadian health officials are assuring the country that there is no outbreak of any of these or other viral diseases, the Ministry of Health says Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and Oropouche are of particular concern.

 “The diseases of concern to the ministry are Zika, chikungunya, and Oropouche, in addition to dengue fever. We recently reported to PAHO regarding cases of chikungunya in Barbados. We had 14 confirmed cases in 2024, and so far this year, we have had six confirmed cases,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George told Barbados TODAY.

Dr George said that although chikungunya is transmitted via the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and its symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever, there is a difference in the outcome.

The chief medical officer explained that chikungunya has a longer effect that persists for months after the infection has cleared.

The government’s top public health adviser pointed out that the levels of chikungunya remain low, with only six cases reported this year. He said the health ministry would carry out chikungunya and Zika screening if tests for dengue fever prove negative. 

“If we are receiving negative dengue cases, and persons are presenting with symptoms of mosquito-borne illness, we then do a wider screen for Zika, chikungunya and other viral agents,” he explained.

Dr George added: “We have not had any reported cases of Zika for several years. Remember, Zika is the infection that presents similarly to dengue, but is a cause for concern because it can affect pregnant women, leading to some form of birth defect. But there are no cases of Zika in Barbados for the past five years.”

Noting that the country experiences intermittent cases of chikungunya, he said the Ministry of Health will continue to conduct tests.

“We know that the vector Aedes aegypti mosquito is present … in Barbados,” the chief medical officer said. “Dengue is endemic in Barbados. We have always had dengue fever, but there is no outbreak of dengue on island at the moment.”

But, Dr George cautioned residents against becoming complacent: “Barbadians still need to play their part, not only in protecting themselves but in ensuring that breeding areas close to their properties are eliminated.”

On the Oropouche virus, which can be transmitted by sand flies, the top public health expert revealed that Barbados has not had any new cases for over a year and a half. But Barbadians can have confidence in the country’s surveillance system, he said.

“We have a strong surveillance system in Barbados that captures prevailing illnesses within the population. Our data suggests there is no Oropouche, so I have to believe it,” he declared.

According to a new epidemiological alert from PAHO, the largest chikungunya outbreaks have been concentrated in South America—particularly Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay—and in parts of the Caribbean. These are associated with the Asian and East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotypes, marking a shift in the pattern observed since 2014. Cases reported in the Indian Ocean region, Europe, and Asia also raise the risk of reintroduction and further spread into new areas with conditions conducive to transmission.

PAHO reports that as of August 9, 14 countries in the region reported a total of 212 029 suspected chikungunya cases and 110 deaths, with more than 97 per cent occurring in South America.

 In comparison, 2024 saw 431 417 reported cases and 245 deaths—indicating a decline this year, though localised outbreaks remain active.

In the first seven months of the year, over 12 700 confirmed Oropouche cases have been reported in 11 countries, including indigenous cases in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela which were not attributed to travellers.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

The post Health authorities urge vigilance as region battles mosquito-borne viruses appeared first on Barbados Today.

A sharp increase in self-harm and attempted suicide among young girls marks a deepening mental health emergency, with a government expert sounding the alarm that the true scope of the problem remains hidden.

Dr Joy Sue, consultant psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health and based at the Psychiatric Hospital in Black Rock, warned on Wednesday that these issues may represent only the surface of a much wider crisis affecting the nation’s young people, as males remain largely absent from those seeking assistance.

She explained that one of the main reasons for this troubling mental health trend is the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is only now becoming apparent. 

“To tell you the truth, we have always seen a fair amount of cuttings, but it has increased. We had an increase in depressive anxiety [during COVID] for sure. And with that, we had an increase in persons who presented with cuttings and other forms of parasuicide or what we called self-harm, that is not necessarily meant to cause death.

“During COVID and post-COVID, those conditions increased. And the whole pandemic, and what came with the pandemic…meaning, the isolation, the online schooling, the lack of socialisation…we are only now seeing the fallout from that. Young people now have changed drastically from the way they behaved previously. I think a lot of it stems from that,” she said.

Addicted to devices

Dr Sue also addressed the addiction to mobile devices as a pressing mental health issue requiring intervention. 

She said: “There is a lot more of the digital world… It’s much more a part of their lives now. They are addicted to social media, and that can affect your self-esteem…. They are doing this social comparison thing…. For most people, it is something they put on, but social media is not real life. Or, they are getting bullied on social media. All of that is a part of it. They were isolated all of that time during COVID, they did not have the social support necessary, so they weren’t adapting.”

Extending her concern about social media’s pervasive influence, Dr Sue added: “Even lying down next to each other, people are on their devices.”

Silent struggle 

Dr Sue revealed that the majority of new clients she now sees are young people ranging from their early teens to age 35, further underlining how social and emotional challenges are affecting an entire generation.

She highlighted the importance of the home environment: “They didn’t just get depressed overnight. A lot of them have a lot of trauma dating back from childhood.”

Eating disorders and gender disparities

Eating disorders were flagged by Dr Sue as another disturbing trend, especially among young females seeking help. “You are going to have poor health outcomes later on. With all of these NCDs [non-communicable diseases] that we are talking about, it is going to put them at risk.”

The psychiatrist clarified that eating disorders are rarely the primary concern brought to her by clients, but emerge as a secondary diagnosis discovered during consultations: “They are not seeing me for eating on its own. So they usually are seeing me because of some kind of depressive anxiety. Eating habits is something that is a secondary diagnosis that is discovered when I speak to them, but not necessarily the reason why they are presenting.”

Asked about males turning up with eating disorders, Dr Sue noted: “You don’t get as many males presenting for depressive anxiety. That is from most females.

“There are a variety of reasons. The fact is that it is more common [for females] because of hormonal reasons. But that’s not the only reason. It could be cultural too. It is not that males aren’t experiencing that…but culturally, how ready females are to come forward and access services for something like that…which is not what the act says about males culturally. So, if males are going through something like that, culture says: ‘Suck it up, I am man, be strong;’ and perhaps because the males aren’t coming forward, we are not getting complaints from the males because they simply aren’t talking about it.”

This, she suggested, means the nation may be unaware of the true picture of mental health in Barbados, with women always more likely to seek help: “We are always trying to get to be the ones to come forward. A lot of emphasis is placed on males.”

Dr Sue emphasised the risks of men not seeking support: “The eating disorders in the men are associated with the other things that females also have. Don’t forget the males are the ones that are disproportionate by suicide as well. All those factors could contribute to increased risks, not only for NCDs, but for more severe mental health outcomes.”

Troubled home environments, missing girls

Touching on the possible link between mental health issues originating at home and the phenomenon of girls going missing, Dr Sue reflected on her work at the Government Industrial School (GIS) female section.

“The persons who were the perpetrators were [getting away] scot-free, while these girls were locked up. I always used to think this was foolishness. They are punishing them when they are victims and their rebellious behaviour is because of something that happened to them and those persons who did these things, they aren’t punished. 

“When they are finished with [the Government Industrial School], they got to go back into the same household because they don’t have anywhere else to go. They are back into the same problems that were never resolved. A vicious cycle.” 

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

The post Isolation driving surge in self-harm, anxiety among youth, says doc appeared first on Barbados Today.

By Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance

Barbados has made impressive progress in reducing smoking rates—the lowest in the Caribbean region—but there is still work to do. The stark difference between men’s and women’s smoking rates shows that targeted, practical solutions could push smoking down even further. As the global tobacco control community prepares for COP11, Barbados has a unique chance to push for smarter policies that reflect real-world success and science.

Harm reduction offers an alternative to the traditional all-or-nothing approach. Instead of demanding everyone quit nicotine altogether, which many struggle to do, harm reduction provides safer options like vaping, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn products. These alternatives avoid burning tobacco, which produces the harmful smoke that leads to cancer, heart disease, and other deadly illnesses. The science is clear: remove the smoke, reduce the harm.

Worldwide, places that have embraced harm reduction—like Sweden, the UK, New Zealand and Japan—have rapidly cut smoking rates. Millions of smokers have successfully switched to these safer choices. Yet, despite this evidence, global tobacco control institutions often dismiss harm reduction as unproven or risky, ignoring the voices of consumers and smaller countries whose needs differ from those of wealthier nations. Instead, large donors and entrenched interests dominate the agenda.

Barbados should not accept being overlooked. The country’s experience and perspective are vital. COP11 presents the chance to lead, demanding a working group focused on tobacco harm reduction, mirroring Barbados’s recent global leadership on biodiversity. This group would ensure ongoing, evidence-based discussions, allow like-minded countries to collaborate, and prevent one-size-fits-all policies that ignore science and real lives.

Supporting harm reduction means rejecting blanket bans on less harmful products, tailoring rules to reflect true risk, and insisting on transparent negotiations where consumers who have benefited from these tools are heard. Tobacco control must evolve to put outcomes over ideology.

Barbados already has strong tobacco control laws and a balanced approach to vaping regulation. Promoting cessation support and harm reduction will build on this foundation, saving lives and accelerating progress. With an already low smoking rate of 6.4%, Barbados can follow Sweden and become the next smoke-free nation.

Speaking up at COP11 will set Barbados apart as a leader among smaller countries demanding science, fairness, and inclusion in global policy. The world needs voices like Barbados’s that prioritise people over politics.

The global health community faces a crucial choice: resist change and prolong suffering, or embrace proven, compassionate strategies that reduce harm. Barbados can help tip the scale toward progress. This moment calls for courage and clarity. Barbados can show leadership by backing harm reduction and making sure its people have access to safer choices. The world is watching. Now is the time for Barbados to act.

The post Barbados can shape the future of tobacco control appeared first on Barbados Today.

Caribbean health authorities have been warned that unless the region urgently overhauls how health data is collected and applied, efforts to prevent and control outbreaks of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika will be undermined, a top public health expert said Tuesday.

Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr Horace Cox, spoke to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a regional workshop being hosted at Blue Horizon Hotel. The training session, attended by health professionals from across the region, is focused on boosting the Caribbean’s collective capacity to predict, detect and respond to vector-borne diseases (VBDs).

He noted that although much has been done in recent years to improve data use in drafting public health policies, strengthening data quality and improving how it is applied in decision-making should be seen as the critical point in the region’s preparedness strategy.

Dr Cox said: “We are coming up with innovative tools at the Caribbean Public Health Agency in conversation with key stakeholders such as those in Barbados, that these tools can help to give us an early signal that something is about to happen. Once that’s the case, we trust that this can advance our preparedness not only as a nation in Barbados but also as a region and, by extension, our level of resilience to the public health threats that we continue to face.” 

Much of the workshop, he noted, is about ensuring participants understand both the technical and practical value of high-quality information in safeguarding public health.

“Here we’re teaching the different participants about the importance of improving data quality, because we can come up with all of these fancy tools, but it’s what’s fed into them [that’s] important,” he said.

“Then also we’re building capacity on the use of risk assessment tools because we want them to be able to appreciate the level of risk and also to understand how the public health actions will be commensurate with that level of risk that’s assessed.”

According to Dr Cox, CARPHA and its partners are working on new models that will give health authorities more accurate early warning systems. However, these can only be successful if regional countries have the right infrastructure and ensure that the data being reported is both consistent and reliable.

“There’s been a lot of advancement in terms of the Caribbean getting better quality data using standardised tools that would harmonise the data sets across the board and ensure that they can speak to one another at the time when we’re attempting to do different analyses,” he said.

“Even though we’ve had these successes, it’s important for us to think about the next step. How could we ensure that these changes are institutionalised and that they become part of the culture?”

He stressed that the ultimate goal is not simply about producing large datasets or building new databases, but about ensuring that the data is properly analysed and used to guide real-world public health decisions.

“It’s not just about collecting data and having the best data package available to us, but it’s how to extract the information from it and to use it to inform public health action, and that’s the essence of it,” Dr Cox explained. “We want it to be a process that is smooth, that not only reflects very robust data systems, but also the translation of that evidence and the use of the evidence to inform public health action.”

At the most practical level, he added, the importance of good data must resonate beyond health professionals and policymakers, reaching right down to communities and families.

“When the data is collected, we want to ensure that you, at the very level of the community, understand how you’re using that data to ensure that you do the necessary preventive measures to protect not only you but your family and by extension the broader community,” he said. (SB)

The post Caribbean urged to strengthen health data to combat rise in vector-borne disease appeared first on Barbados Today.