Carib Scope

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  • 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.

  • President Lai: Taiwan geeft zijn vrije en democratische levenswijze niet op onder druk

    President Lai: Taiwan geeft zijn vrije en democratische levenswijze niet op onder druk

    Fresh off high-stakes talks between U.S. and Chinese leaders that centered heavily on the Taiwan issue, Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te has issued a clear rebuke of mounting pressure from Beijing, pledging the island will never be forced to abandon its democratic system and sovereign status.

    In a social media post laying out his administration’s stance, Lai emphasized that Taiwan has no intention of provoking or escalating conflict across the Taiwan Strait. At the same time, he made clear the island will not sacrifice its national sovereignty, dignity, and free democratic way of life in the face of external coercion. Lai reiterated that Taiwan has long been a committed defender of the cross-strait status quo, and is not the party seeking to alter the current arrangement. He went so far as to name China as the fundamental source of regional instability in the area.

    Beijing has long claimed Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, and has repeatedly threatened to use military force to achieve unification if the island formally moves toward independence. The Taiwan question remained a core, contentious topic during the recent summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    According to Chinese state media, Xi described the Taiwan issue as the single most sensitive core question in bilateral relations between Washington and Beijing. He warned that improper handling of the question could trigger severe conflict that would put the entire bilateral relationship at irreversible risk.

    While the United States has not formally recognized Taiwan as an independent sovereign state, successive U.S. administrations have maintained robust unofficial support for the island, including through billions of dollars in arms sales and consistent diplomatic statements that imply Washington would intervene to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

    Following his closed-door summit with Xi, Trump told reporters that Xi holds extremely firm opposition to any move toward Taiwanese independence. The U.S. president, however, declined to commit to approving a new $11 billion arms sales package to Taiwan that has already cleared approval from the U.S. Congress. “I haven’t approved it yet. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters.

    For his part, Lai framed U.S. security cooperation and arms deliveries to Taiwan as critical foundational elements for sustaining regional peace and stability. He argued that these commitments are not just a security guarantee from the U.S. to Taiwan, but also serve as the most effective deterrent to actions that would undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and broader Indo-Pacific region.

  • 73-Year-Old Grandmother Loses Home in Bella Vista Fire

    73-Year-Old Grandmother Loses Home in Bella Vista Fire

    In the pre-dawn hours of a Sunday in Bella Vista village, Toledo, a sudden out-of-control fire has left a multi-generational family homeless and without their small livelihood, though all four residents managed to escape unharmed. The blaze broke out at approximately 4 a.m. on May 17, 2026, completely destroying the family’s residential property and the home-based business they operated out of the building.

    The head of the household, 73-year-old Felicita Ruiz, fled the burning structure alongside three family members: her daughter Zarahi Pineda, Pineda’s 8-year-old daughter, and son-in-law Greville Bonilla. In a stroke of luck, the family also acted quickly enough to pull all of their vehicles out of the property before the fire consumed the entire building, avoiding additional total loss.

    Ruiz, a well-known local vendor who sold household goods and apparel through regular Facebook Live sales, lost every piece of inventory and personal belonging she owned in the fire. Despite the devastating turn of events, relatives say the 73-year-old is maintaining a remarkably positive outlook. “My mother is okay and strong,” Maria Stephanie Mejia, another of Ruiz’s daughters, told local outlet News 5. “We know that God is strengthening us because my mother has a smile on her face.”

    Mejia, who was not at the property when the fire broke out, shared that the displaced family has already been overwhelmed by outreach from the tight-knit Bella Vista community, for which they are deeply grateful. As of the latest update, investigators have not yet determined what caused the fire. Community members and outsiders who wish to donate or offer support to the Ruiz family can reach out to the family through Facebook, by contacting either Felicita Caballero or Zarahi Pineda directly.

  • Fasons Foods opens doors to small farmers to boost poultry production

    Fasons Foods opens doors to small farmers to boost poultry production

    Barbados-based food producer Fasons Foods, manufacturer of the popular Amir’s Chicken brand, has launched a landmark new program designed to uplift small-scale poultry producers across the island, advancing both local food security and protection for low-income agricultural workers.

    At the core of the initiative is a recent major expansion and upgrade to the company’s central poultry processing facility, which has boosted its processing capacity to several tonnes of poultry per hour. This expanded throughput creates space for Fasons Foods to bring dozens more independent small farmers into its formal supply chain – a critical opening, as small producers currently contribute just 20% of Barbados’ total domestic poultry output, with many locked out of consistent commercial access.

    Fasons Foods CEO Amir Juman outlined the drivers behind the move during a Saturday press briefing, noting that the decision grew directly from rapidly rising consumer and business demand for fresh, locally sourced poultry across Barbados’ retail and hospitality sectors. Beyond meeting existing market demand, Juman emphasized that integrating small farmers into a structured commercial supply chain will deliver two key benefits: stabilizing the national poultry market and shielding small independent producers from the harmful impacts of unpredictable economic fluctuations.

    “Year after year, countless small poultry producers exit the industry, often simply because they lack a reliable, consistent market for their product,” Juman explained. “Our goal is to act as a safety net for these farmers. As the broader national economy expands, small producers will be able to grow right alongside it.”

    The initiative extends far beyond just guaranteed market access, too. Fasons Foods will also provide targeted technical assistance to help small producers address persistent industry challenges, including high poultry mortality during hot summer months and ongoing biosecurity threats. The company plans to assign specialized field staff to work directly with participating farmers, training them in climate-resilient management practices and sustainable production methods that reduce operational risk.

    While the increased processing capacity will allow Fasons Foods to capture greater economies of scale, Juman stressed that national food and economic stability remains the program’s primary objective. “This expansion and support program will strengthen the Barbadian economy and make a transformative difference by ensuring fresh poultry remains consistently available and affordable for all Barbadians,” he said.

  • WHO Declares Ebola “International Emergency” After Outbreak Kills 80

    WHO Declares Ebola “International Emergency” After Outbreak Kills 80

    In a landmark announcement that underscores growing global alarm over a rapidly expanding viral threat, the World Health Organization has officially designated the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The declaration comes after the pathogen crossed an international border within 24 hours, moving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring Uganda, triggering urgent public health interventions across the region.

    As of May 16, 2026, health authorities have documented 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected fatalities across three separate health zones in the DRC’s northeastern Ituri Province. Only eight of these cases have so far received laboratory confirmation, pointing to gaps in surveillance and testing capacity in the conflict-affected region. The cross-border spread of the virus was confirmed when Uganda reported two positive cases linked to travel from the DRC, one of which ended in death.

    Complicating response efforts, the outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain—a rare, lesser-understood variant of Ebola for which no widely approved vaccines or targeted therapeutic treatments currently exist. This gap in medical countermeasures has put frontline healthcare workers at extreme risk, with at least four medical personnel already counted among the outbreak’s fatalities.

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the PHEIC declaration during an emergency briefing, but clarified that the outbreak does not yet meet the formal criteria to be classified as a pandemic emergency. Under the PHEIC designation, the global public health body is calling for coordinated international action to contain the spread, while stopping short of recommending broad travel restrictions that go beyond the immediate affected areas. The organization has urged all countries outside the outbreak zone to strengthen their disease surveillance systems and pre-position rapid response teams to detect and contain any imported cases before they can spread locally.

    Public health experts warn that the combination of the rare strain, weak health infrastructure in the affected region, and ongoing population movement creates significant risk for further expansion, making rapid international support critical to turning the tide of the outbreak.

  • Special Envoy: ‘Make Sex Offenders Registry Public’

    Special Envoy: ‘Make Sex Offenders Registry Public’

    Amid a swell of public anger over recent sexual assault allegations involving influential figures in public trust positions, Rossana Briceño, a special envoy based in Belize, has reignited national debate over offender transparency by calling for the country’s existing closed sex offender registry to be opened to full public access.

    Briceño argues that no longer should convicted sex offenders – regardless of whether they hold positions of power as teachers, law enforcement officers, or other public-facing roles – be able to conceal their criminal histories behind the current restricted registry system. Her call to action centers on three core pillars: increased accountability for convicted offenders, greater governmental transparency around public safety data, and enhanced protective measures for vulnerable communities, particularly children.

    Currently, Belize maintains an internal registry of convicted sex offenders overseen jointly by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the national Police Department. Unlike systems in many other jurisdictions that allow public access, this database remains completely closed to general citizenry, with access limited exclusively to authorized law enforcement personnel and a small number of selected childcare institutions.

    Briceño emphasizes that the current policy of keeping offender identities hidden creates unnecessary danger for children. By opening the registry to the general public, she says, communities gain the most effective tool available to proactively protect their most vulnerable members and prevent future victimization.

    Briceño’s statement has sparked widespread discussion across social media platforms, with the vast majority of online commenters expressing clear support for the proposal. One supporter framed the demand as a critical public safety priority, noting “Yes, we need this, and we need the punishment so strong that others will think twice to hurt any of our children.”

    Even among commentators who back the push for a public registry, however, there have been calls for clearer policy details. Many have pressed for clarification on practical implementation questions, including whether new geographic restrictions will be put in place to bar offenders from living within set distances of schools, daycare centers and other child-focused facilities, as well as how user-friendly and widely accessible the public database will be for ordinary citizens.