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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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A country’s economy grows and the standard of living of its residents is determined, in large measure, by the involvement, engagement and productivity of its workers. Workers who are engaged and producing at their optimum are workers who are healthy – emotionally and physically.

During this World Breastfeeding Week 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector is happy to come alongside the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation to remind us all of the importance of breastfeeding to workers, and to enterprise and national development.

Mothers who are able to breastfeed their children and are provided adequate facilities at work to express and store breast milk are generally more engaged, satisfied and committed workers. They are more inclined to get into and remain in formal employment. They are more likely to be advocates for the organisation.

Children who are breastfed are shown to be generally healthier and better-adjusted children. As adults, they have lower incidences of chronic, non-communicable diseases than other segments of the population. They are able to engage better, think more clearly, and therefore be more productive.

Let us join together to close the gap and support mothers who are able to breastfeed their children. Mothers benefit. Children benefit. Our communities benefit. Our nation benefits.

(Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector)

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Medical experts are calling on people to resume wearing masks as a new, more transmissible variant of COVID-19 gains dominance on the island. 

No mask mandate has been issued. 

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has stressed that whilst caution is necessary, there is no cause for alarm. While the variant has been here for several months, this strain is a more dominant one.

BAMP President Dr Lynda Williams told Barbados TODAY: “It has greater transmission . . . it doesn’t have any greater mortality, but anything that can spread faster will affect the vulnerable people most quickly, so we have to go back to the usual hand-washing and wearing of masks around people who are vulnerable and especially if they are working with them.”

The variant, known as JN1, is a sub-variant of Omicron. Its presence was first confirmed by the Ministry of Health in January, alongside a rise in respiratory illnesses including Influenza A and B and COVID-19.

Dr Williams advised that individuals vaccinated in 2020/2021 and who did not receive any boosters since then, the extent of their protection would have waned.

She said: “We will watch and see what happens; there is no need to panic, we just need to remember it’s still out there and those who are elderly or have uncontrolled comorbidities such as diabetes, they are at risk.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George clarified that the mask mandate has not been reintroduced. But he urged vulnerable people, including the elderly, pregnant women, and those with chronic non-communicable diseases, to take precautionary measures against respiratory illnesses.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), JN1’s symptoms are similar to those of other strains, including sore throat, congestion, runny nose, cough, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, fever or chills, loss of sense of taste or smell, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

The CDC notes that symptom type and severity usually depend more on an individual’s underlying health and immunity than on the specific variant causing the infection.

Despite COVID-19 no longer being classified as a disease of international public health concern, the Ministry of Health continues to test and monitor for COVID-19 strains, acknowledging that transmission of the virus has not ceased.

As the situation develops, health officials are advising people to exercise caution in crowded spaces and to prioritise protective measures, particularly for those at higher risk. (EJ)

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• Warrens Tower II, Warrens, St Michael – Monday, July 22.
• Emerald City Carpark, Six Roads, St Philip – Tuesday, July 23.
• National Insurance and Social Security Service, Culloden Road, St Michael – Wednesday, July 24.
• Queen’s Park, Constitution Road, St. Michael – Thursday, July 25.

The services being provided are routine screening for non-communicable diseases, Prostate-specific antigen testing, blood pressure checks and blood sugar testing, HbA1c , screening for sexually transmitted infections, breast examination and teaching, and Tetanus Toxoid vaccines.

The post Reminder of Mobile Clinic locations and times for this week appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Vector Control Unit will take its fogging programme to St George and St John, this week.

The Unit will visit both parishes on Monday when it carries out its fogging exercise in Wakefield Road, Four Road, Lemon Arbour Village, Bayley Alley, Sweet Vale, Butcher Road, Brathwaite Road, and Golden Ridge.

The team will focus on St George, for the rest of the week. On Tuesday the Unit will spray Paradise Village Nos. 1 to 3, Roach Village, Applewhaites, Lucas Hall Tenantry Road, Lucas Heights, Belair Nos.1 and 2, Upper Belair, Jericho, and surrounding areas.

It will be the turn of Cottage Heights, Cottage Crescent, Grove Tenantry, Market Hill, Bridge Cot, Grove Cottage, Bridge Cot Terrace, Old Post Office Road, Cottage Court West, Cottage Crescent Drive, Moon Shine Close, and St Helens, when the Unit fogs on Wednesday.

The next day the following districts will be sprayed:1st and 2nd Lower Newbury, Newbury, Fusilier Road, Rose Hill, Taitt Hill, and Newbury Heights.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday in Salisbury, Hope Road, Free Hill, Workmans, and environs.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the fog.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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The following communities will be fogged on Monday: Sealy Hall, Consett Bay Cul-de-sac, Codrington, Sargeant Street, Welch Town, Coach Hill, Haynes Hill, and Colleton Gardens.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Cliff Cottage, Colleton Tenantry, Glebe Land, Pothouse, Edge Cliff, Hothersal Tenantry, Edge Cliff Gardens, Malvern, and surrounding areas will be visited by the Unit.

The team will spray Clifton Hall, Church View, New Castle, New Castle Park, Zores, Martin’s Bay, St Margaret’s Village, and Glenburnie on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the districts which will be targeted are Hackleton’s Cliff, Horton Village, Venture Nos. 1 to 4, Mount Tabor Heights, Sherbourne Nos. 1 to 3, Sherbourne Gardens, Wilson Hill, Claybury Tenantry, and Easy Hall.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude in St. Michael, on Friday, July 19. The Unit will go into Henry Dunant Road, 1st to 3rd North Friendship Drive, Friendship Terrace, 1st to 3rd Lowland Drive, Green Hill Main Road, Mahaica Gap, Storey Gap, and Lewis Gap.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the fog.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness strongly refutes a statement made in a section of the press that indicated Barbadians’ health was at risk during the recently concluded T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The facts are as follows:

During Cricket World Cup, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in conjunction with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), instituted a real-time surveillance system to capture all possible public health events that could have occurred. We received daily reports on the status of public health during all of the Cricket World Cup matches.

The surveillance started before, during, and a week after Cricket World Cup. At no time was there any infectious disease outbreak that warranted public health intervention.

The management of public health during the World Cup was commendable and the public remained safe at all times.

We deployed several environmental health and surveillance officers, along with public health nurses, to ensure our surveillance was strengthened throughout the Cricket World Cup.

With respect to Hill Milling Co. Ltd., the environmental health team in the Ministry of Health and Wellness is working with the management of Hill Milling to ensure the food supply remains safe.

There is no outbreak associated with Hill Milling Co. Ltd., and we will continue to work with the company to have outstanding matters resolved.

The Ministry encourages the public to use reputable sources and refrain from using unofficial and unverified sources to obtain their information.

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