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  • SVG lagging behind despite increased visitor arrivals

    SVG lagging behind despite increased visitor arrivals

    In a public press briefing held in Villa on May 14, 2026, senior tourism officials from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) shared encouraging new data on the country’s post-crisis tourism recovery, while openly acknowledging the Caribbean nation still lags behind many of its regional competitors in total visitor volumes. The announcement coincided with the official launch of SVG’s new national tourism branding initiative, the “Love SVG” campaign, which aims to boost the destination’s global profile.

    Shawn Sutherland, Chief Operating Officer of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), confirmed that 2025 marked an all-time historic high for overnight stay-over tourism to the island chain. For the full calendar year 2025, total stay-over arrivals surpassed the 120,000 mark, shattering previous records for the destination. This positive momentum has carried over consistently into the opening months of 2026, with each month of the first quarter posting double-digit year-over-year gains. Sutherland noted that monthly growth rates fell between 10% and 12% for January, February and March, bringing the quarterly average to roughly 10% growth. He projected that this steady upward trajectory will remain consistent through the remainder of 2026, building on the multi-year recovery that began after the twin shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 La Soufrière volcanic eruptions devastated the local tourism sector.

    Cruise tourism, another core revenue stream for SVG’s travel industry, has also maintained solid high volumes in recent years, according to Tourism Minister Kishore Shallow. The minister reported that SVG currently welcomes an average of around 350,000 cruise passengers annually, paired with the 120,000 annual stay-over arrivals set in 2025. However, Shallow emphasized that when compared to peer nations across the Caribbean, SVG’s performance still leaves significant room for expansion. He pointed to key regional competitors to contextualize the gap: neighboring Grenada records more than 180,000 annual stay-over arrivals, while St. Lucia draws nearly 426,000 overnight visitors each year. For cruise traffic, the gap is even wider, with major regional destinations like Antigua and St. Kitts welcoming more than one million cruise passengers annually. Shallow framed the 2025 record and 2026 early growth as clear evidence of progress, but stressed that targeted, strategic action is required to close the gap and unlock the full potential of SVG’s tourism sector. “It means that there are opportunities for improvement. We could do a lot better,” Shallow said, noting that intentional, strategic planning will be critical to reaching the country’s growth targets.

    Sutherland outlined three core drivers behind the recent positive growth trend that SVG has recorded: expanded air connectivity, rising private sector investment, and increased global visibility through modern digital marketing. He explained that the SVGTA has prioritized improving air access over recent years, forging new strategic partnerships with both regional and international air carriers to expand route networks and increase flight frequency to the destination. “Enhanced connectivity remains essential to tourism, investment, business travel and visitor arrivals,” Sutherland noted. He added that the authority is also seeing growing confidence from private sector investors, with a pipeline of new and expanding hotel and tourism infrastructure projects underway across the country. These developments will eventually increase total room capacity, boost average occupancy rates, generate new local employment opportunities, and expand overall economic activity across all of SVG’s islands, he said.

    Most notably, the SVGTA has shifted its marketing strategy to leverage digital platforms and influencer partnerships to reach younger global travelers, a move that has already paid dividends in increased international visibility. Sutherland highlighted recent exposure from major global streaming and digital platforms, including content from popular creator IShowSpeed, the reality series *Below Deck*, and the David Hoffman YouTube channel, all of which have featured SVG in recent months. “The visibility generated through IShowSpeed’s Caribbean content demonstrated the growing influence of digital creators and online streaming platforms in shaping travel interests among younger global audiences,” Sutherland explained. Moving forward, the SVGTA plans to build on these early wins by doubling down on digital storytelling, influencer engagement, and modern data-driven marketing strategies that align with evolving global travel trends, to position SVG as a top Caribbean destination for international visitors.

  • Long-delayed Grenadines desalination projects to be fast-tracked

    Long-delayed Grenadines desalination projects to be fast-tracked

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines is currently grappling with an unprecedented severe water shortage that has pushed the country’s smaller Grenadines islands into a state of emergency, prompting the newly sworn-in administration to fast-track a seven-year-stalled desalination initiative that was originally gifted by the Italian government.

    Health Minister Daniel Cummings, who holds oversight over the country’s potable water portfolio, launched sharp criticism at the former Unity Labour Party (ULP) government for the years-long delay of the Bequia desalination plant project. In an interview with NBC Radio this Wednesday, Cummings — who assumed his post in December following the New Democratic Party (NDP)’s victory in the November 25 general election — expressed deep frustration over the stagnant initiative. “It is extremely puzzling that for over seven years, a desalination plant donated by the Italian government for the people of Bequia has never moved past the planning stage. For whatever reason the project never got off the ground, and this is nothing short of a tragedy,” he stated.

    The planned facility, which will include dedicated storage infrastructure and distribution pipelines, is designed to convert treated seawater into safe drinking water for Bequia’s residential community. According to Cummings, the country’s Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) is now prioritizing the project to advance desalination access across most Grenadine islands, a long-term solution that will help ease chronic water scarcity across the region.

    Right now, the entire archipelago is reeling from a severe extended drought that has forced widespread water rationing even on mainland St. Vincent, which is naturally endowed with rivers, springs, and streams to support its municipal water network. The situation is far grimmer across the Grenadines chain, where rainwater harvesting remains the primary source of drinking and household water for most communities. Cummings labeled the current conditions across the Grenadines a “super critical” crisis, emphasizing that Bequia — the largest Grenadine island located just nine miles from the capital Kingstown — is no exception, despite its proximity to the mainland. The island is currently facing extreme water shortages that have disrupted daily life for residents.

    In the short term, authorities are pulling every lever to stabilize water supplies across the affected islands, leveraging a patchwork of existing and soon-to-be-activated private and resort-owned desalination facilities to fill gaps. On Union Island, a private desalination plant developed by a local investor has already been completed but has not yet entered operation. Cummings confirmed that ongoing conversations with the developer have put the facility on track to be commissioned in the very near future. Once operational, water from the plant will be transported by tanker to different parts of the island, as no permanent distribution mains have been constructed for the facility. On Canouan, residents have historically depended on excess water from the island’s resort-owned desalination plant, but the facility is currently struggling to meet its own operational demands, meaning it can no longer supply the same volume of water to local communities it once did. The small island of Mayreau has seen a modest reprieve recently after the Mustique Company installed a small-scale desalination plant in the island’s bay, though additional water still needs to be delivered by boat to meet full community demand.

    Looking toward long-term sustainable solutions, Cummings highlighted modern advances in desalination technology paired with solar energy that have transformed the feasibility of these projects compared to a decade ago. New solar-powered desalination systems cut reliance on expensive fossil fuels dramatically, harnessing renewable energy to treat water and pump it into elevated storage facilities. “The technology has improved dramatically on both fronts: modern desalination requires far less energy than it did 10 to 15 years ago, while solar power systems have become cheaper and far more accessible,” Cummings explained. The elevated storage design also guarantees consistent supply: when sunlight is unavailable after dark, gravity feeds stored water to residents, ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality drinking water across all Grenadine islands.

    Cummings reaffirmed that the new administration is prioritizing long-neglected water infrastructure projects across the Grenadines to address both the immediate crisis and future water security risks, with the Bequia desalination project at the top of the government’s implementation list.

  • Fuel prices increase

    Fuel prices increase

    Starting this Sunday, drivers and businesses across the region will face higher costs for key petroleum products, after official announcements confirmed steep retail price increases for gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.

    The most dramatic jump is seen in kerosene, a fuel widely used for heating and cooking in many residential and small commercial settings, which will rise by $1.03 per liter to hit a new retail rate of $2.56 per liter. Gasoline, the primary fuel for passenger vehicles and light freight, will see a 28-cent per liter increase, pushing its retail price to $4.01 per liter. Diesel, the dominant fuel for heavy transport, logistics, and construction equipment, will see a more modest six-cent per liter rise, bringing its new retail price to $3.21 per liter.

    The price adjustments, which were confirmed in an official press release, are set to ripple through multiple sectors of the economy. Higher gasoline prices will directly increase household transportation costs for daily commutes and personal travel, while elevated diesel prices will likely put gradual upward pressure on goods delivery costs, which may eventually be passed through to consumers at retail outlets. For households reliant on kerosene for off-grid heating, the sharp jump in prices is expected to create added financial strain heading into the coming months.

    The new pricing structure will go into full effect at all licensed retail fuel outlets starting Sunday, with no transition period for existing stock.

  • Gonsalves says police force ‘now entirely politicised’

    Gonsalves says police force ‘now entirely politicised’

    A controversial fast-track promotion of a former partisan political official to a senior leadership role in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is at the center of growing political tension, with opposition leader Ralph Gonsalves labeling the plan entirely unacceptable and warning it will deepen what he calls systemic partisan infiltration of the national constabulary.

    National Security Minister St. Clair Leacock first made public Brenton Smith’s planned promotion as part of a broader reshuffle of the police force’s top command on Wednesday. Smith’s path to this anticipated senior appointment traces back to 2021, when he was one of hundreds of public sector workers terminated under Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party (ULP) government, which enforced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that removed unvaccinated public employees from their posts.

    After his dismissal, Smith stepped into a top partisan role, serving as general secretary of the then-opposition New Democratic Party (NDP). Following the NDP’s landslide general election victory on November 27, the new administration fulfilled a campaign pledge to reinstate all workers dismissed under the previous government’s vaccine mandate, restoring their full employment benefits. Smith returned to his role in the police force as part of this policy.

    What makes Smith’s planned promotion extraordinary is the size of the rank jump: instead of advancing sequentially through the traditional hierarchy of assistant superintendent and superintendent, he will move directly from his current rank of inspector to the senior position of assistant commissioner of police (ACP), skipping three intermediate ranks entirely. On Wednesday, Gonsalves addressed the plan during a caller segment on his popular weekly radio show *Morning Comrade*, broadcast on Star FM, after a listener cited Leacock’s announcement that Smith would also be tapped to lead critical human resources operations within the force.

    Gonsalves stressed that his criticism centers on institutional principle, not a personal attack on Smith. He emphasized that the proposed leap would be an unprecedented break from longstanding police protocol and fundamentally unfair to veteran officers who remained in service and climbed the ranks gradually while Smith left to pursue full-time partisan political activity.

    “I have no objection to him returning to his post — other workers dismissed under the mandate were reinstated, and that is the policy the new government put in place, that is their right,” Gonsalves said. “But there is no justification for moving him straight from inspector over multiple intermediate ranks directly to the ACP. You simply cannot skip assistant superintendent, superintendent, and all the intervening steps to land at a senior command post. I do not believe the public of this country will accept this unfair outcome lightly.”

    The opposition leader warned that if the promotion moves forward, it will trigger significant unrest both among the general public and within the rank-and-file of the police force. “Vincentians have a deeply held belief in fairness in public service,” he noted. “When the public sees an unfair appointment, they will speak up. And serving officers who have spent decades working their way up the ranks will also object to this. This decision will carry major repercussions, far-reaching repercussions.”

    Gonsalves called on the independent Police Service Commission (PSC), which holds formal authority to approve senior police appointments, to reject the plan, saying he would be gravely disappointed if the body endorsed the accelerated promotion. “I know the chairman and all members of the PSC personally, and I cannot imagine that, with proper legal and procedural advice, they would endorse such an irregular decision. This is fundamentally a question of merit and seniority. There are only four ACP posts in the force, and when vacancies open, appointments should go to officers who have worked their way up through the system, not to former political officials who just returned to the force.”

    Gonsalves drew a clear distinction between Smith’s proposed promotion and the planned elevation of two other senior officers, Trevor “Buju” Bailey and Dwayne Bailey, who are set to be promoted to deputy commissioner of police. He stated he holds the Bailey brothers in high professional regard, noting that their promotions follow traditional hierarchical advancement: Dwayne Bailey was promoted to superintendent by the PSC during the ULP administration, and Trevor Bailey already holds the ACP post, so his elevation to deputy falls well within normal procedural bounds.

    “The promotions for the Bailey brothers are completely reasonable and aligned with constitutional and regulatory frameworks, which outline the prime minister’s role in appointing commissioner and deputy commissioner posts,” Gonsalves explained. “Smith’s jump is on an entirely different footing — it combines an unprecedented accelerated promotion with recent full-time partisan political activity with the ruling party.”

    Gonsalves also questioned the procedural decision to have the sitting national security minister announce individual senior promotions, rather than releasing the announcement through the PSC, the body legally responsible for police personnel decisions. “I held the national security portfolio and oversaw the police force for years under the ULP government, and I have never seen a sitting minister personally announce individual promotions of this sort. This makes clear that the entire police force is now being politicized from the top down, after the NDP took office in November,” he added.

  • Bouva bespreekt economische samenwerking met Venezolaanse leiding

    Bouva bespreekt economische samenwerking met Venezolaanse leiding

    On a working visit to Venezuela, Melvin Bouva, Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation, held high-level talks with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez focused on expanding and deepening diplomatic and economic ties between the two Caribbean-South American nations. The meeting, held in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, centered on boosting collaborative projects across a suite of strategic priority sectors, including energy, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, education, and capacity building for the oil and gas industry.

    Bouva’s visit was arranged at the invitation of his Venezuelan counterpart, and aligned with broader regional integration goals and the advancement of South-South cooperation, a framework that fosters knowledge and resource sharing among developing nations. Both delegations framed the Caracas meeting as a pivotal milestone in the ongoing development of bilateral relations between Suriname and Venezuela, with both sides confirming their commitment to expanding existing partnership frameworks and advancing joint projects that deliver mutual benefits to their populations and economies.

    Dialogue during the talks also addressed core regional priorities: the delegates emphasized the critical role of inclusive economic growth, expanded cross-border trade, and sustained regional stability for long-term development across the broader area. Both sides further underlined the urgent need for long-term sustainable cooperation across both the Caribbean region and the Amazon basin, two ecologically and economically vital areas shared by the two nations.

    During the discussions, Bouva reaffirmed Suriname’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Venezuela, noting that the two sides will work to turn diplomatic understandings into concrete agreements that drive shared economic growth, advance regional integration, and strengthen long-term sustainable diplomatic ties. Both Suriname and Venezuela concluded the meeting by reaffirming that open, constructive dialogue, mutual respect for national sovereignty, and strategic cross-border collaboration remain foundational to advancing shared interests across the South American region.

  • HIV Commission marks 25 years, seeks new partners

    HIV Commission marks 25 years, seeks new partners

    Twenty-five years after it first began its work supporting public health and HIV outreach, the National Wellbeing and HIV Commission – operating under Barbados’ Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs – is actively seeking to grow its partner network to advance three core goals: boosting population-wide wellness, driving positive behavioral change, and eroding the persistent stigma that surrounds HIV. The expansion push comes as the agency celebrates its silver anniversary, an occasion marked Sunday with a gathering at the Kingdom Empowerment New Testament Church of God in Cottage Land, St George.

    Acting Director Kim Bobb-Waithe explained that the commission already works closely with civil society groups and trusted local community leaders to connect with vulnerable, high-priority populations that are most affected by HIV. Expanding this collaborative framework, she emphasized, will allow the organization to extend its reach into communities that already have active on-the-ground organizations, aligning the commission’s resources with existing programming to serve more people in need.

    “ we acknowledge that many organizations are already working directly with at-risk groups across the country. We want to partner with them to amplify their existing work and reach the communities they serve every day,” Bobb-Waithe said. “More partners are absolutely critical as we carry out our new expanded wellness mandate, which takes a holistic, whole-person approach to addressing the interconnected public health challenges our society faces.”

    Bobb-Waithe also noted that demand for the commission’s two flagship outreach programs – Man Aware and Sister Speaks – has grown steadily in recent months. These initiatives deliver targeted education on HIV prevention, safe sexual practices, and overall wellness to community groups, and rising public interest signals that local communities are eager for accessible, judgment-free information.

    “As we work to shift harmful behaviors around HIV prevention, we’ve found that bringing accessible education directly to people where they live and gather has opened new doors. More and more communities are reaching out to us to request additional education sessions,” she said. “People are clearly welcoming the guidance and awareness that these programs provide to help them adopt healthier, safer behavioral practices.”

    Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Adrian Forde praised the commission’s 25 years of work, which has improved quality of life for people living with HIV and strengthened Barbados’ national public health response to the virus. Even with decades of progress, however, Forde stressed that significant unaddressed challenges remain, and echoed the call for expanded cross-sector collaboration.

    The commission continues to face persistent headwinds, including partner attrition, widespread HIV fatigue among the public and funding bodies, competing social priorities that pull resources away from HIV outreach, and the ongoing stigma and discrimination that force many people living with HIV to avoid testing and care. Forde noted that while the government remains fully committed to upholding the rights and dignity of all people affected by HIV, it cannot meet the nation’s public health goals on its own.

    “Sustained collaboration across the private sector, civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, local community groups, and individual citizens will always be essential to building healthier, safer, more resilient communities, and to ensuring the people who need the most support get the help they deserve,” Forde added.

  • SVG’s sea moss group engages EU about resuming exports

    SVG’s sea moss group engages EU about resuming exports

    After two decades of trade restrictions barring its core marine product from European markets, the Sea Moss Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SMASVG) is actively engaging with European Union stakeholders to clear a path for re-entry, positioning its sustainable, value-added sea moss goods for a successful comeback.

    The push for market access gained a high-profile platform earlier this month, when SMASVG joined official EU 50th anniversary celebrations held in Barbados from May 7 to 9. Following the event, Ronita Ollivierre, a leading member of the association, framed the opportunity as transformative for both the national sea moss sector and the broader St. Vincent and the Grenadines economy.

    This showcase was organized under the umbrella of the EU-Caribbean Food Security Programme, led by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and partner organizations. The event centered on elevating sustainable, artisanal goods tied to three key global development priorities: food security, growth of the blue economy, and value-added product innovation.

    At the heart of SMASVG’s exhibition was dried sea moss, the sector’s primary export-focused product. The association highlighted that its dried sea moss meets strict international quality benchmarks, backed by rigorous laboratory testing and controlled small-batch production practices tailored to meet European consumer demands. Beyond raw and dried products, SMASVG showcased the sector’s growing innovation and diversification through a wide range of value-added offerings, including sea moss-infused food and beverages, skincare and cosmetic goods, wellness supplements, and early-stage development of sea moss-based ingredients for pharmaceutical applications.

    The exhibition featured seven local Vincentian sea moss enterprises — Miss Cassandra’s, Tash’s Dusk til Dawn, Marslyn’s, Mark’s Produce, Seamoss Boss Canouan, Pure Canouan Seamoss, Ocean Remedies, and Nature’s Pride — illustrating the full strength and maturity of SVG’s sea moss value chain, from sustainable raw material harvesting through to finished, market-ready consumer products.

    Attendees were also invited to take part in an interactive mobile sea moss experience, which included product tastings, live demonstrations, and educational discussions focused on the cultivation, uses, and health benefits of wild-harvested and processed sea moss. A post-event press release noted that public reaction to the showcase was overwhelmingly positive, with Barbadian residents, international travelers, and members of the Vincentian diaspora all expressing strong interest in the products and the interactive tasting experience.

    Diplomatic delegations and international representatives in attendance also praised the exhibition, commending the high quality, professional presentation, innovative product lines, and distinct artisanal identity of SVG’s sea moss sector. Cross-stakeholder discussions at the event extended far beyond basic raw material production, covering topics including circular economy integration, end-to-end value chain development, and small business entrepreneurship, all of which reinforced St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ reputation as a regional leader in sustainable, value-added marine resource development.

    The multi-day program tied to the showcase included a public marketplace and product display at the Barbados Film Festival, structured business-to-business site visits with regional and EU-based distributors, and Europe Day programming focused on advancing equitable, sustainable global food systems.

    Cindy Eugene, a program representative with the International Trade Centre, emphasized the organization’s support for SMASVG’s market access goals, noting that sea moss perfectly aligns with the core values the EU-Caribbean Food Security Programme works to advance: sustainability, innovation, and strengthened regional food security.

    William Castro Rodriguez, an ITC program officer, added that this cross-regional engagement is designed to build tangible, long-term connections between Caribbean small-scale producers and European consumer markets. He pointed to SVG’s sea moss sector as a model example of how tropical natural resources can be developed to unlock significant value-added economic potential for small island developing states.

  • Canadian from hantavirus-hit cruise ship tests positive

    Canadian from hantavirus-hit cruise ship tests positive

    A hantavirus outbreak tied to the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has taken another turn, with health officials in British Columbia, Canada confirming a new positive case among passengers who disembarked weeks after the initial cluster emerged in April.

    The infected individual is a Yukon resident who is part of a couple self-isolating on Vancouver Island, one of four Canadian passengers quarantining in the region after leaving the vessel. Officials confirmed the patient has only developed mild symptoms, and none of the four people isolating on Vancouver Island have had any interaction with the general public since entering Canada.

    This new case pushes the total number of confirmed hantavirus infections linked to the cruise to 11, all of which are among former passengers of the vessel. Three passengers who traveled on MV Hondius have died so far, with two of those deaths formally tied to the virus.

    British Columbia’s senior provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced that the result returned as a presumptive positive on Friday, meaning it is still awaiting final verification from Canada’s national microbiology laboratory. “Clearly, this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” Dr. Henry told reporters in comments carried by Canada’s national public broadcaster CBC.

    Dr. Henry also sought to alleviate public concern by drawing a clear distinction between hantavirus and the more transmissible respiratory viruses that have dominated global public health conversations in recent years, including COVID-19, influenza and measles. “It remains one that we do not consider to have pandemic potential,” she added.

    In total, six Canadian passengers were on board the vessel when the outbreak was detected. Two are currently self-isolating in private residences in Ontario, while the two couples quarantining on Vancouver Island include one pair from British Columbia and the other from Yukon – the home of the newly confirmed case. To date, none of the other five Canadian passengers have tested positive for the virus.

    The MV Hondius departed on its voyage from Argentina on April 1, with the outbreak detected mid-journey. The ship docked in Tenerife, part of Spain’s Canary Islands, less than a week ago to allow all passengers to disembark and enter isolation protocols. The vessel is scheduled to reach its home port of Rotterdam, Netherlands on Monday, where the remaining crew members will leave the ship. The ship’s owner, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed that no current staff on board are showing any symptoms of hantavirus infection.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends a 42-day isolation period for people exposed to hantavirus. Canadian officials initially required exposed passengers to complete just 21 days of quarantine, but Dr. Henry noted that this timeline is now under review and may be extended to align with global guidance.

    Hantaviruses are primarily carried and spread by wild rodents, but the Andes strain linked to this outbreak – which the WHO believes passengers contracted while visiting destinations in South America – is capable of spreading between humans. Common symptoms of infection include fever, extreme fatigue, widespread muscle aches, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty breathing. Public health officials have repeatedly emphasized that the risk of a widespread community outbreak from this cluster remains extremely low.

  • WHO declares global health emergency over new Ebola outbreak

    WHO declares global health emergency over new Ebola outbreak

    On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally designated the ongoing Ebola outbreak, triggered by the rare Bundibugyo virus, across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a move that comes after the outbreak has already claimed 88 lives and sparked more than 300 suspected infections. In a clear distinction from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, global health leaders emphasized that the current outbreak does not meet the threshold for classification as a pandemic-level emergency, and explicitly advised against the implementation of international border closures to avoid unnecessary disruption to travel and trade.

    In a post to the social platform X, WHO confirmed that a laboratory-verified case of Ebola has now been identified in Kinshasa, the DRC’s densely populated capital located roughly 620 miles from the outbreak’s original epicenter in the country’s eastern Ituri Province. The infected patient had a documented travel history to Ituri, raising concerns that the virus may have already begun spreading beyond its initial origin zone. Additional suspected cases have also been detected in North Kivu, the DRC’s most populous province, which shares a border with Ituri, further widening the scope of the potential outbreak.

    First identified in late 2007, Ebola is a highly contagious pathogen that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood, vomit, and semen. While infections are rare, the disease causes severe, often fatal illness with mortality rates that can exceed 50% depending on the variant and access to care.

    For WHO, a PHEIC declaration is the highest level of global public health alert, designed to catalyze urgent action from donor nations and international aid agencies. The designation signals that the outbreak poses a serious global threat, carries a significant risk of cross-border spread, and demands a coordinated, unified international response to contain transmission. However, past global responses to similar emergency declarations have delivered inconsistent results. When WHO labeled the 2024 mpox outbreak across Central Africa a global emergency, public health experts widely criticized the response for failing to rapidly deliver critical supplies including diagnostic tests, antiviral treatments, and vaccines to affected communities.

    What makes the current outbreak particularly challenging is the strain of virus involved: the Bundibugyo variant, a rare subtype of Ebola for which no specifically approved vaccines or therapeutics currently exist. While the DRC and Uganda have faced more than 20 separate Ebola outbreaks over the past decades, this is only the third recorded emergence of the Bundibugyo variant. To date, the vast majority of cases are concentrated in the DRC, with just two confirmed infections reported across the border in Uganda, per WHO data.

    The first known Bundibugyo outbreak occurred in Uganda’s Bundibugyo District between 2007 and 2008, infecting 149 people and killing 37. The second detection was recorded in 2012 in the DRC’s Isiro region, where the outbreak caused 57 confirmed infections and 29 deaths.

    Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), noted Saturday that a large share of active infections are still circulating in community settings, particularly in Mongwalu, the town where the first cases were initially documented. This widespread community transmission has dramatically complicated containment efforts and contact tracing work, which are critical to stopping the virus from spreading further.

    Compounding these challenges are persistent security and demographic pressures in the affected region. Decades of violent conflict with IS-backed militant groups in eastern DRC have left health infrastructure fragmented and unstable, while constant cross-border population movement driven by artisanal mining both within the DRC and across the border into Uganda makes it difficult to track and isolate infected individuals.

    Officials first confirmed the emergence of the outbreak in Ituri Province, which borders both Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. By Saturday, the Africa CDC had reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths across the DRC.

    Speaking on the outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged that major uncertainties remain about the true scale of transmission. “There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time,” he said. “In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases.”

  • Beauty industry spotlighted at inaugural Art of Her competition

    Beauty industry spotlighted at inaugural Art of Her competition

    Barbados is shining a spotlight on the untapped economic and creative potential of its female workforce with the launch of the first-ever *Art of Her: The Beauty of South Central* competition, a new initiative designed to lift up local beauty professionals and position the industry as a key engine of national growth. Scheduled to take place on the evening of June 13 at Solidarity House, the competition builds on Barbados’ established reputation as a regional leader in gender empowerment while addressing a longstanding gap in targeted support for female-dominated sectors.

    Speaking at the official launch event over the weekend, Member of Parliament Marsha L. Caddle outlined the policy and social rationale behind the initiative. She noted that despite the country’s progress advancing women’s economic participation, sectors dominated by female workers have not received the same level of strategic investment as male-dominated industries, most notably construction which remains the country’s primary source of male employment. Caddle emphasized that directing resources toward women-led businesses delivers disproportionate social and economic returns for the entire nation. “When women control financial resources, those funds are far more likely to be reinvested in high-impact community priorities: children’s healthcare, educational access, and long-term social development that lifts entire families forward,” Caddle explained. “It is critical that we continuously uphold and invest in women’s industries and their productive capacity to build a more resilient, inclusive economy.”

    Beyond direct support for beauty entrepreneurs, Caddle also highlighted the sector’s interconnected role in growing other key Barbadian creative industries. The local beauty space serves as a foundational supplier for fast-expanding national sectors including film production, cultural tourism, and live entertainment, making investment in beauty professionals a boost for the entire creative economy.

    The competition itself is structured around three core creative categories aligned with the event’s overarching theme, “The Fantasy”: hair artistry, branded as “Crowning the Fantasy”; nail art and design, called “Fantasy at Your Fingertips”; and makeup artistry, titled “The Face of Fantasy”. All competitors are required to complete their creative work live on-site during the event, bringing an immersive, dynamic element to the showcase. As of the launch, 20 creators have already applied to compete, with registration set to close on May 22.

    Event organizer Ashley Lashley shared detailed logistics for the showcase, confirming it will run from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the day of the event. In a major push to help participating entrepreneurs grow their businesses, the competition will award more than $20,000 in total prizes, most of which consist of professional-grade salon and studio equipment tailored to each category. For nail artists, prizes include industry-standard work tables, mini air compressors, UV curing lights, cooling fans, electric nail dryers, and storage racks for polish – tools that allow emerging creators to scale their operations and turn their craft into a sustainable full-time career.