Carib Scope

分类： health

  • PM Says 25 Air Peace Passengers Will Travel to Antigua From Barbados on LIAT

    PM Says 25 Air Peace Passengers Will Travel to Antigua From Barbados on LIAT

    As public health authorities across the Caribbean ramp up vigilance amid growing Ebola concerns in several regions of Africa, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has enacted a series of enhanced safety protocols for travelers arriving on the newly launched Air Peace direct service from Nigeria, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed. Even with these heightened precautions, approximately 25 passengers bound for the twin-island nation will still complete their journey, though their route will be adjusted to accommodate public health screening requirements.

    In an interview aired on local outlet Pointe FM this past Saturday, Browne outlined the modified travel arrangement: the incoming Air Peace flight from Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, will divert from its original planned landing at Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport and instead touch down first in neighboring Barbados. From there, passengers with final destinations in Antigua and Barbuda will be transported onward to Antigua via regional carrier LIAT.

    “Even though they’re landing in Barbados, about 25 of them will come here,” Browne confirmed, clarifying that the routing change is a purely precautionary measure designed to streamline public health checks rather than a full ban on entry. To mitigate any potential risk of imported Ebola cases, national health authorities will conduct rigorous screening for all passengers upon their arrival in Antigua, building on protocols that were first widely deployed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Browne noted that the government has already reinstated the full enhanced public health framework used during the global COVID crisis, including the return of infrared thermal scanners that enable rapid, non-contact temperature checks to identify potential fever, a common early symptom of Ebola. As an additional layer of precaution, the nation’s Infectious Disease Centre has been reactivated to stand ready for any potential cases.

    “If any of them were to take ill while they’re here, we can easily isolate them and of course do the necessary contact tracing,” Browne explained, emphasizing that the reactivated facility gives authorities the infrastructure to respond quickly and contain any potential outbreak before it can spread to local communities.

    The prime minister added that this unusually cautious approach stems not only from the current Ebola outbreak concerns in parts of Africa but also from a challenging past experience involving migrant arrivals on flights operated by Antigua Airways from Cameroon via Nigeria in 2022 and 2023. “We got burnt there, so we’ve been a little cautious,” he said, noting that the prior incident left the government determined to avoid repeating missteps in border health management.

  • Living with Parkinson’s in the Dominican Republic: between silence, struggle, and hope

    Living with Parkinson’s in the Dominican Republic: between silence, struggle, and hope

    In Santo Domingo, the visible tremors that mark Parkinson’s disease are only the outermost layer of a far more complex, hidden struggle. For many working-age patients, these involuntary movements are often concealed – hands stuffed deep into pockets, or clasped tightly together to hide the telltale shaking. What lies beneath this careful hiding is a frozen rigidity that has derailed personal plans and lifelong dreams, a slowness of movement that cannot keep up with the breakneck pace of modern cities that rarely pause to accommodate their most vulnerable citizens. This unmet need creates a heavy emotional weight that reshapes entire households.

    For countless Dominican families, Parkinson’s is far more than a clinical neurodegenerative diagnosis. It is a life-altering experience that upends daily routines, redefines family bonds, and all too often forces patients and their loved ones into suffocating silence. Faced with pervasive social stigma and widespread fear of being treated differently, the Dominican Foundation Against Parkinson’s (Fundación Dominicana Contra el Mal de Parkinson) has emerged as a critical lifeline – a sanctuary that offers support, guidance, and unwavering defense of the dignity of people living with the condition.

    ### A Crisis That Extends Far Beyond the Clinical Diagnosis
    Parkinson’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually robs patients of control over their movement, their personal autonomy, and in many cases, their emotional stability. In the Dominican Republic, a critical lack of centralized, accurate epidemiological data and a fragmented, under-resourced care system have drastically worsened the public health crisis. Most patients do not seek medical consultation until their disease has reached an advanced stage, by which time significant physical and cognitive decline has already occurred, irreparably damaging both the patient’s quality of life and that of their entire family.

    Per data from the World Health Organization, Parkinson’s ranks as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally. The condition affects roughly 1 in every 100 people worldwide, totaling an estimated 10 million people living with the disease. In the Dominican Republic, a national targeted census of Parkinson’s patients remains an unfulfilled policy goal, but data from leading neurology clinics at major public hospitals including Salvador B. Gautier and Cabral y Báez confirms a sharp, underreported reality: Parkinson’s is no longer solely an illness affecting older adults. Compounding this trend are widespread gaps in the national healthcare system, from inconsistent access to life-sustaining medication to a near-absence of structured advanced therapy programs.

    A key structural failure exacerbating patient hardship is the exorbitant cost of prescription Parkinson’s medications, paired with extremely limited insurance coverage through the national public health system. This leaves many low- and middle-income patients unable to afford the treatment that slows disease progression.

    ### Loneliness: The Invisible, Debilitating Symptom
    Beyond the visible physical symptoms of tremors and muscle rigidity, there is another, far less visible symptom that causes profound pain: chronic loneliness. Many patients experience severe social isolation, a devastating loss of independence, and a deep, persistent sense of abandonment. According to foundation leaders, it is extremely common for people with Parkinson’s to feel completely helpless, especially when they lack formal support networks or access to accurate, reliable information about their condition.

    This pervasive loneliness is both social and emotional, driven by three core systemic failures: widespread public misunderstanding of how Parkinson’s presents and progresses, deep-rooted social stigma surrounding visible neurological symptoms, and a severe lack of accessible, inclusive public spaces that accommodate people with movement disorders.

    ### The Silent, Unrecognized Burden on Family Caregivers
    Every patient’s journey is shouldered in large part by their family, who bear the brunt of the disease’s daily impact. Most often, informal caregivers are immediate family members, who take on an enormous physical, emotional, and financial toll to support their loved one. As a patient’s autonomy gradually erodes, caregivers must provide constant 24/7 assistance, restructure or abandon their own professional careers, and navigate severe psychological exhaustion. The foundation emphasizes that Parkinson’s does not only affect the individual patient – it upends their entire support network, creating a domino effect that reshapes core family dynamics.

    ### The Foundation’s Model: Care, Education and Collective Action
    Against this challenging landscape, the Dominican Parkinson’s Foundation has built a community-centered intervention model built on three core pillars: comprehensive care, public education, and social integration.

    For direct patient care, the foundation delivers an interdisciplinary approach designed to preserve quality of life, including medical guidance from specialized neurologists, structured physical rehabilitation, ongoing psychological support, and assistance navigating barriers to accessing affordable medication.

    Through education and awareness initiatives including public lectures, community workshops, and national outreach campaigns, the organization works to educate the general public about Parkinson’s pathology, debunk common harmful myths surrounding the disease, and encourage life-changing early diagnosis. Every year during Parkinson’s Awareness Month, the foundation hosts public events ranging from film screenings to community gatherings and group therapeutic sessions that bring together patients, caregivers, and members of civil society to build connection.

    Finally, the foundation’s social integration programming uses events like charity walks, recreational outings, and solidarity running events to pursue one core goal: breaking the cycle of isolation for patients. These community gatherings bring much-needed visibility to people living with Parkinson’s and build broader public empathy for their experiences.

    ### Unmet Demand and Persistent Systemic Challenges
    Despite the foundation’s extraordinary and life-changing work, monumental systemic challenges remain. These include a national shortage of specialized Parkinson’s care centers, extremely limited operational and funding resources, insufficient insurance coverage for life-sustaining treatments, and persistently low public awareness of the scope of the crisis in the Dominican Republic. While the foundation currently serves hundreds of patients across the country, its leadership openly acknowledges that patient demand far outpaces the organization’s operational capacity.

    ### More Than an Organization: A Network of Hope
    Since its founding, the Dominican Parkinson’s Foundation has pursued a goal far deeper than just delivering clinical care: restoring the dignity, sense of community, and feeling of belonging that the disease so often strips away. Its approach unites patients, families, and healthcare providers into a connected network that does not just treat the disease – it humanizes the experience of living with Parkinson’s.

    While Parkinson’s in the Dominican Republic is still defined by widespread public ignorance, crippling financial barriers, and systemic isolation, it is also a story of extraordinary resilience. Thanks to the work of organizations like the Dominican Parkinson’s Foundation, a growing public space has opened where patients are no longer invisible. Instead, they are finally being heard, accompanied, and understood by broader society. Ultimately, the true fight against Parkinson’s is not limited to medical research and treatment – it is a social, emotional, and deeply human struggle that requires collective action.

    ### Personal Stories: Life Beyond the Statistics
    Clinical statistics gain new meaning when paired with the lived experiences of patients living “on pause,” their lives slowed but not stopped by Parkinson’s.

    Nathaly, 42, a mother of two and a former attorney, was at the peak of her career, balancing legal work with raising her young daughters, when she noticed her right hand began shaking uncontrollably during a client meeting. “People told me it was just stress, but I knew something inside my body had gone wrong,” she recalls from her home in Santo Domingo Este. At just 35 years old, she received a diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s. Gradually, she was forced to leave the courtroom and step back from her private practice. Without private health insurance, the cost of her medications and specialist consultations became unsustainable. “Public insurance covers practically nothing, and on top of that there’s school tuition for my girls… that broke me the most. I graduated with honors while raising my kids, I’ve always been strong, but honestly some days this fills me with depression or pure rage… I don’t know.” Nathaly’s story shatters the persistent stereotype that Parkinson’s only affects older adults. She faced devastating social consequences: she lost her job due to her employer’s lack of accommodation, and endured unfair judgment from people who misread her symptoms as anxiety. “Parkinson’s steals your fluidity of movement, but the hardest part is that people look at you like you’re broken. I am still here. My mind still works, even if my body takes longer to do what I want it to.”

    At 70, Doña Berkys fights a daily battle in her modest home in the Los Ríos neighborhood of Santo Domingo. Every morning at 7:30, her greatest goal is simply to pour and drink a cup of tea by herself, without spilling anything – or feeling like she has lost the independence that defined her for decades. This small, lifelong ritual is a pleasure Parkinson’s has stolen from her. “Some days my legs feel like lead, and other days they just stop moving entirely,” she explains with a faint smile, her voice barely a whisper. For her, the healthcare crisis is personal: the cost of her medications, including levodopa and other core treatments, consumes more than half of her monthly income. The Dominican Republic lacks a formal, robust network of caregiver support or established public health programs for chronic neurodegenerative illnesses, leaving patients like Doña Berkys vulnerable to advancing rigidity and ineffective, underfunded public policy.

    Mariana Cordero, 68, lives with advanced Parkinson’s, and her story is also the story of her daughter Elena, who quit her full-time job to become her mother’s round-the-clock caregiver. The domestic toll of Parkinson’s is one of the most underrecognized, painful facets of the disease. “When my mother was diagnosed, all of us got sick in our own way,” Elena confesses. Parkinson’s causes deep, gradual emotional erosion for entire families. “As the disease progresses, you find out who people really are; it shatters family harmony, all at once or piece by piece. Holiday gatherings get smaller and smaller, and the entire burden inevitably falls on one person.” “It’s not just about giving her a pill on time. It’s lifting her up when she freezes mid-walk down the hallway, managing her depression, and watching the woman who was my everything, the towering figure who raised me, shrink until she fits tightly in my arms.” The absence of public adult day care facilities and formal government support networks turns caregiving into a heroic, lonely, and unrecognized labor of love.

    Not all stories are defined by hardship, however. At 71, Carlos, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 16 years ago, has found that creative practice acts as a powerful form of medicine. Working from a small studio in his Zona Oriental apartment, he found that when he holds a book or writes along to the rhythm of music, his tremors and freezing spells subside. He made the decision that Parkinson’s would not end his social life or his love of creating. “Music, reading, and writing are my therapy. If I had let myself be consumed by hopelessness, I would have rusted away long ago,” he says, adjusting his posture to keep working on his fourth book. Carlos’s journey underscores the critical importance of mental balance and social integration for people living with the disease. His story is a call to action to build communities where patients are not isolated, but instead supported to maintain their autonomy through cognitive stimulation and active engagement.

    ### A National Call to Action
    The impact of Parkinson’s transcends individual patients and families, creating an urgent national challenge for the Dominican Republic. From a healthcare perspective, the country faces an urgent need to decentralize specialized neurological care, which is currently concentrated almost entirely in the major cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago. On a policy level, there is a desperate need for dedicated protective legislation that guarantees affordable access to high-cost medications and advanced therapies, alongside full insurance coverage for comprehensive rehabilitation programs that prevent premature disability.

    The country also needs dedicated public social integration spaces, specialized adult day care centers, and a functional, efficient national network of caregiver support. This would allow family caregivers to remain in the workforce, continuing to contribute to their households and to the broader Dominican economy.

    Behind every global clinical statistic from the WHO, there is a Dominican person struggling to button their shirt, walking with the constant fear of falling, or yearning to be seen as a person beyond their symptoms. As a society, the core challenge is clear: even if people with Parkinson’s walk slower than most, we cannot afford to slow our progress in delivering the support and access to care that is their fundamental right.

    By Dr. Marcia Castillo
    Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Specialist
    Instagram: @dra.marciacastillo

  • Bellevue pushes to reframe ‘madness’ in Jamaica

    Bellevue pushes to reframe ‘madness’ in Jamaica

    To mark World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, Jamaica’s only psychiatric facility, Bellevue Hospital, has launched a urgent call to reverse deep-seated harmful stereotypes and pervasive stigma surrounding schizophrenia that still distort public understanding across the island nation. For decades, common colloquial labels like “mad” and “madness” have framed public discourse around the condition, reducing a complex, manageable brain disorder to dehumanizing tags that drive discrimination, social exclusion, and prevent affected people from seeking life-changing care.

    According to an official statement from the hospital, widespread misinformation in Jamaican communities continues to tie schizophrenia to inherent violence, unpredictability, and permanent hopelessness, rather than framing it as a treatable condition where full recovery and social integration are achievable. This widespread stigma does not only skew how the general public perceives people living with schizophrenia—it directly erodes affected people’s willingness to access available care and participate fully in community and family life.

    Dr. Roger Roberts, Senior Medical Officer at Bellevue Hospital, explained that the most damaging and widespread misconception is the persistent belief that people diagnosed with schizophrenia are naturally dangerous or prone to violence. He noted that harmful public narratives often form around isolated cases of violence involving people with untreated mental illness, which becomes the primary lens through which the public views the entire condition. This skewed perception ignores overwhelming research evidence: people living with schizophrenia are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to perpetrate it.

    Crucially, Dr. Roberts emphasized that schizophrenia is a highly treatable condition, even with the widespread stigma that continues to hold back care access. Clinical data shows that with timely, appropriate intervention and ongoing social support, up to 80% of people living with schizophrenia can build stable, meaningful, and productive lives that align with their personal goals. Even with this positive clinical outlook, stigma remains one of the single largest barriers to care across Jamaica. Even when free or low-cost mental health services are available through the country’s network of public clinics, many people avoid treatment for fear of being labeled “mad gyal” or “mad bwoy” by neighbors and community members.

    Shifting public discourse away from fear and stereotypes to empathy and evidence is the first critical step to reducing this harmful stigma, Dr. Roberts argued. Lower stigma not only encourages more people to seek early care, it also reduces the crippling social isolation that worsens outcomes for many affected people. It also opens up access to employment and housing opportunities, which are core pillars of long-term recovery and well-being.

    Dr. Roberts also placed heavy emphasis on the urgent need for earlier diagnosis and intervention, explaining that delayed care has measurable long-term impacts on brain health and prognosis. “The longer a person goes without the appropriate diagnosis and intervention, the greater the likelihood of significant brain damage as well as residual symptoms,” he explained. “Simply put, early diagnosis and intervention save brain structure and function.”

    While prescription medication remains a foundational component of schizophrenia treatment, Dr. Roberts noted that sustained recovery extends far beyond clinical medication management. Affected people see far better outcomes when they have access to holistic support including psychotherapy, social skills training, stable affordable housing, meaningful employment, family connection, and community inclusion. Family members and caregivers play an irreplaceable role in this support system: by encouraging consistent treatment adherence, helping loved ones attend medical appointments, and keeping them connected to family and community life, they dramatically improve long-term recovery prospects.

    Exclusion from community and family life, by contrast, deepens social isolation and worsens health outcomes, Dr. Roberts added. He also highlighted the urgent need for expanded community-based mental health support infrastructure across Jamaica, including assertive ongoing community treatment programs, improved crisis response resources, and targeted housing and employment support for people living with schizophrenia. Many people with the condition require intensive, consistent follow-up care to maintain stability while living in the community, which requires coordinated care across psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and dedicated case managers.

    As Jamaica continues to work through long-standing cultural stigma around all forms of mental illness, Dr. Roberts is calling on all Jamaicans to approach conversations about schizophrenia with radical empathy, informed understanding, and humanity. “Everyone can develop a mental disorder, so let us be kind to those who are suffering from mental disorders,” he said.

    For individuals and families currently navigating the challenges of schizophrenia, Dr. Roberts offered a message of unwavering hope. Even if progress feels slow, and people have not yet reached the milestone of independent living, steady employment, or the life they hope for, he urged them not to give up. “With the right treatment and support the vast majority of persons living with schizophrenia can improve significantly and lead productive lives,” he said.

  • Oeganda bevestigt drie nieuwe ebolagevallen; verhoogd risico voor tien andere Afrikaanse landen

    Oeganda bevestigt drie nieuwe ebolagevallen; verhoogd risico voor tien andere Afrikaanse landen

    A new wave of Ebola infections has been confirmed in Uganda, amplifying regional public health concerns over the spreading Bundibugyo variant outbreak that originated in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Ugandan health authorities announced three additional confirmed cases on May 24, bringing the country’s total case count in this current outbreak to five. Among the newly infected individuals are a driver who transported the country’s first confirmed Ebola patient and a healthcare worker exposed while providing care to infected patients. Public health teams are currently monitoring all known close contacts of the confirmed cases and ramping up contact tracing efforts to halt further transmission of the virus.

    These new detections come just days after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued an urgent warning, naming 10 regional nations at heightened risk of cross-border spread of the highly contagious Bundibugyo Ebola strain from the DRC. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already upgraded its national risk assessment for the DRC outbreak to “very high” and labeled the regional risk level as “high”, while assessing the global risk as low at this stage.

    As of the latest update, the DRC has recorded nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths linked to the current outbreak, which is centered in the country’s northeastern Ituri Province. Aid organizations operating in the region report critical shortages of basic medical supplies, a shortfall partially driven by recent cuts to international foreign aid, most notably from the United States. The Bundibugyo variant of Ebola carries an estimated mortality rate of up to 50 percent, and no specifically approved vaccine or targeted treatment currently exists for this strain.

    WHO officials emphasize that multiple overlapping factors have left the DRC uniquely vulnerable to a large-scale outbreak: delayed detection of initial cases, the lack of approved medical countermeasures for this specific variant, ongoing armed conflict in Ituri Province that disrupts response efforts, and high population mobility across the country’s porous borders. In response to the growing cross-border threat, Uganda has already suspended all public transport services between its territory and the DRC in an attempt to slow transmission.

    Tensions and instability have also plagued response efforts at the epicenter of the outbreak in the DRC. For the second time in one week, an Ebola treatment tent in the town of Mongbwalu was set on fire by local residents, forcing 18 suspected Ebola patients to flee the facility. Earlier unrest also led to the destruction of a separate treatment center in Rwampara, sparked by community tensions surrounding the retrieval of a deceased Ebola patient.

    Africa CDC director Jean Kaseya identified the 10 at-risk nations as Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. The regional public health body is currently working to develop a coordinated, cross-border response strategy to contain the outbreak, with a key focus on addressing longstanding weaknesses in the region’s chronically underfunded public health systems that leave countries vulnerable to epidemic spread.

  • No Evidence of Local Spread After Two Imported Malaria Cases, PM Says

    No Evidence of Local Spread After Two Imported Malaria Cases, PM Says

    The twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has ruled out local transmission of malaria following the detection of two imported cases, one of which ended in a fatality, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed. In an address to local radio station Pointe FM on Saturday, Browne shared that public health teams have concluded all mandatory contact tracing and routine monitoring protocols for the two cases, and no evidence of secondary community spread has been identified.\n\n”We recorded two malaria cases, both of which were imported into the country, and tragically one patient did not survive the infection,” Browne stated during the interview. He went on to clarify that after exhaustive contact tracing and public health follow-ups, there is no data to suggest the pathogen has spread beyond the initial imported cases.\n\nThe prime minister emphasized that the overall risk of sustained local transmission remains extremely low, noting that the primary mosquito species responsible for carrying and spreading malaria is not widely established across Antigua and Barbuda. “We do not have large populations of that vector here, which makes widespread transmission via mosquitoes or other carriers highly unlikely,” he explained.\n\nThe announcement comes as the Antigua and Barbuda government moves to strengthen national public health surveillance systems, prompted by growing global concern over ongoing Ebola outbreaks in multiple regions of Central and East Africa. As part of updated precautionary measures to mitigate risks from incoming international travelers, the country has reactivated its specialized Infectious Disease Centre (IDC) – a facility first established during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nBrowne explained that the reactivated IDC will serve as a dedicated hub for isolating any travelers who develop symptoms of a contagious infectious disease while in the country, with pre-planned protocols in place to immediately launch contact tracing and containment efforts. The prime minister also pushed back against past criticism of the facility, which opponents once labeled an unnecessary public expense.\n\n”Epidemics and pandemics are an ongoing recurring risk that all countries face,” Browne noted. “Maintaining a dedicated infectious disease center to manage these kinds of transmittable illnesses is a critical asset, and a core component of our national health infrastructure.”\n\nIn addition to reactivating the IDC, national public health authorities have also restored enhanced entry screening protocols at the country’s international airports. These measures include the reintroduction of infrared thermal scanners to screen arriving passengers for fever, a common early symptom of many infectious diseases, as public health teams continue to monitor the evolving global outbreak situation closely.

  • PM Says Antigua Taking ‘Conservative Position’ by not allowing Air Peace to land

    PM Says Antigua Taking ‘Conservative Position’ by not allowing Air Peace to land

    Against a backdrop of growing Ebola transmission alerts across parts of Central and East Africa, the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has enacted a highly cautious approach to incoming air travel from Nigeria, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed. In an interview with local outlet Pointe FM on Saturday, Browne outlined that the government has opted not to accept the first planned Air Peace flight originating from Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. Instead, the aircraft will reroute directly to neighboring Barbados, where passengers bound for Antigua and Barbuda will complete their journey on regional carrier LIAT.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Strengthens Ebola Preparedness and Border Surveillance Measures

    Antigua and Barbuda Strengthens Ebola Preparedness and Border Surveillance Measures

    In response to the World Health Organization’s recent classification of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has launched proactive monitoring and preparation efforts to guard against the spread of the virus, which is currently impacting multiple regions of Central and East Africa. The announcement was made public by the nation’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs.

    As of the latest update, no suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have been detected within Antigua and Barbuda’s borders. Despite the current low risk profile, the Ministry has moved quickly to strengthen national surveillance and readiness frameworks, aligning all actions with established global public health standards and international guidance.

    Key enhanced measures already underway include stepped-up screening protocols at all ports of entry, tighter infection prevention and control rules across the country’s health care facilities, and sustained cross-agency coordination with regional and global public health bodies. Ministry officials are also conducting a comprehensive review and update of the nation’s original Ebola preparedness protocols, first drafted in response to the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak. This overhaul covers critical operational areas including case tracking, infection control protocols, clinical case management, and safe protocols for handling human remains.

    Parallel preparations are also being carried out to ensure the nation’s Infectious Disease Centre (IDC) is fully operational and ready to accommodate isolation or specialized treatment if any cases are confirmed.

    To further reduce entry risk, the Ministry plans to present a set of temporary travel restrictions to the national Cabinet for approval. If approved, the new rules will bar entry to any traveler who has visited designated Ebola outbreak areas within the 45 days prior to their scheduled arrival in Antigua and Barbuda.

    As part of expanded airport screening efforts, authorities are also working to reinstall infrared thermal camera systems at V.C. Bird International Airport, a core tool for detecting potential symptomatic travelers. Looking ahead to the scheduled launch of new additional international flights from Nigeria starting May 25, 2026, the Ministry is also boosting permanent Port Health staffing and expanding public health screening capacity at the airport. These upgrades include more robust traveler health assessments and closer coordinated workflows with immigration, customs, airport management, and commercial airline teams.

    In a public statement, the Ministry emphasized that the current overall risk of an Ebola introduction to Antigua and Barbuda remains low. Even so, officials stressed that sustained vigilance and advanced preparedness are non-negotiable to protect public health. The public is advised to maintain consistent good hand hygiene practices, and to seek immediate medical care if they develop fever or other unexplained illness, especially within weeks after international travel.

    The Ministry confirmed it will continue real-time monitoring of the outbreak situation across Africa, and will issue timely public updates should any adjustments to preparedness measures be needed.

  • Antigua and Barbuda confirms two imported malaria cases; one traveller dies

    Antigua and Barbuda confirms two imported malaria cases; one traveller dies

    The twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is on high public health alert after health authorities confirmed two imported cases of malaria, one of which has ended in the death of an international traveler. In an official public statement released Friday, the country’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs moved quickly to reassure residents that no evidence of local malaria transmission has been detected to date, keeping overall population risk at a low level.

    According to ministry documentation, the first confirmed case involved an adult male traveler coming from a country where malaria is considered endemic. The man sought medical care almost immediately after his arrival in Antigua and Barbuda, and was promptly hospitalized to start malaria treatment. Health officials report that he responded well to clinical interventions, and departed the country roughly five days after his initial arrival.

    The second case, which resulted in the fatality, involved another adult male traveler who also journeyed to the islands from a malaria-endemic region. This traveler became ill shortly after crossing into Antigua and Barbuda, and was admitted to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre in critical condition. Despite aggressive medical intervention and round-the-clock supportive care, the patient could not be saved.

    Public health officials confirmed that both travelers either displayed active malaria symptoms upon arrival or developed symptoms within just a few hours of entering the country. A full review of their travel history and the timeline of symptom onset has led investigators to classify both infections as clearly imported, meaning they were contracted outside of Antigua and Barbuda’s borders.

    Immediately after the cases were identified, national public health surveillance and response protocols were activated. Epidemiological teams have launched full investigations into the cases, conducted widespread vector surveillance to track local mosquito populations, completed contact tracing for any individuals who may have had exposure, and implemented ongoing monitoring to catch any potential secondary spread early.

    For context, malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, which is primarily spread through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Common symptomatic presentations include high fever, chills, severe headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and general muscular weakness.

    While local entomological surveys have confirmed that Anopheles mosquitoes do exist in Antigua and Barbuda, ongoing surveillance shows that the species remains limited in range and is only present in very small populations across the islands. As part of the targeted public health response, authorities have ramped up mosquito control operations in all areas linked to the two confirmed cases. Current measures include comprehensive environmental inspections, source reduction efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, targeted larvicide treatment, focused fogging in high-risk areas, and continuous monitoring of local mosquito population levels.

    Beyond direct control operations, the Ministry of Health is issuing a public advisory urging all local residents to take proactive steps to reduce mosquito breeding sites around their homes and places of business. Recommended actions include draining all standing water from containers, covering all stored water vessels, cleaning clogged drains on a regular schedule, and seeking immediate medical care if anyone develops fever or flu-like symptoms, particularly after returning from international travel.

    Officials emphasized that the evolving situation is under constant close monitoring, and reassured the public that the country’s established public health infrastructure remains fully activated and prepared to address any further developments.

  • Restoring vision and hope

    Restoring vision and hope

    A recent four-day humanitarian cataract surgery mission in Trinidad and Tobago has thrown a sharp spotlight on a growing public health crisis: thousands of elderly citizens across the twin-island nation are living with preventable blindness, trapped by financial barriers and limited access to timely care. Leading the mission organized by disaster and medical humanitarian group HANDS International at the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists in Cocorite, Trinidad-born US-based physician Dr. Reynold Agard detailed the scale of unmet need that his team encountered during their work.

    According to Agard, the vast majority of patients affected are elderly people living with age-related cataracts, a condition whose progression is significantly accelerated by common regional health issues including high diabetes rates, poor dietary habits, and chronic overexposure to strong Caribbean sunlight. Cataracts develop when the eye’s natural lens becomes clouded, essentially leaving sufferers to view the world through frosted glass, and surgery is the only effective treatment to restore vision. Across the entire Caribbean, Agard noted, cataracts have emerged as a leading cause of preventable blindness, driven by overlapping demographic and public health trends: populations across the region are aging, rates of lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease are rising rapidly, and many low-income patients cannot access or afford the care they need.

    When the mission launched, organizers initially set a goal of completing 3,000 free or subsidized cataract surgeries. But the overwhelming flood of demand pushed the team to raise their target to 4,000 procedures. Despite this adjustment, multiple logistical and financial barriers prevented the team from hitting the expanded goal. Pre-surgery screenings and lens measurements, required to prepare for successful procedures, normally cost patients between TT$300 and TT$500 — a sum that was out of reach for most patients seeking care through the mission. As a result, the surgical team had to divert significant time and resources away from procedures to conduct these essential screenings on-site for free. Additional delays came from supply chain holdups and broken air conditioning at the hospital, further slowing the pace of work.

    Agard emphasized that the issue is not a lack of local medical skill: Trinidad already has highly trained surgeons capable of performing cataract procedures. To address the gap in access, Agard and his team, which included world-renowned high-volume cataract surgeon Dr. Jacobs — one of the pioneers of the four-minute rapid cataract procedure — have offered to train local clinicians in this efficient, high-throughput surgical technique that allows more patients to be treated in less time.

    For the patients who did receive surgery, the results have been life-changing. Agard shared moving accounts of the emotional reactions many had when their bandages were removed and vision was restored. One elderly woman, who had only been able to see the faint shadows of her grandchildren for three years, trembled and cried when she was able to view clear photos of her family on her mobile phone for the first time. “Everyone cries when they realize blue is really blue again, and they can finally see red clearly,” Agard said.

    For Agard, the mission was far more than a humanitarian project — it was a personal homecoming. A graduate of Roxborough Secondary School and the Polytechnic Institute, Agard migrated to the US, where he completed medical training at Penn State College of Medicine, now runs a private practice in Delaware, and teaches at hospitals across the Philadelphia-Delaware region. He has been part of HANDS International since the organization was founded 18 years ago, in the wake of devastating hurricanes that struck the eastern Caribbean. Since its launch, the group has deployed to respond to humanitarian crises and medical needs across the globe, including disaster response in Haiti, Dominica, Nepal, Ukraine, and multiple African nations, as well as post-hurricane relief in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Louisiana, and New York after Hurricane Sandy.

    Preliminary discussions are already underway for HANDS International to return to Trinidad next year, with plans to expand services to Tobago and South Trinidad, with the goal of making these cataract mission an annual event. Agard praised the support the mission received from the Trinidadian government, Minister of Health Dr. Lackram Bodoe, and the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which was instrumental in hosting the project. All medications used during the mission were provided free of charge, with only one unregistered drug held up at customs — an issue organizers are working to resolve ahead of the next trip. The team is also encouraging all patients who received surgery to complete their required follow-up care at the host hospital.

    Beyond the immediate surgical work, the mission highlights broader public health priorities for the region. Agard emphasized that simple lifestyle adjustments can significantly slow the progression of cataracts and reduce risk, especially for people with diabetes. He encouraged Caribbean residents to adopt a diet centered on whole, plant-based foods, rich in vitamins A, C, and E, limit consumption of red meat and ultra-processed foods, and avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption — two major modifiable risk factors for early cataract development.

    “Some people literally go to their graves blind with a procedure that could have given them sight and improved their quality of life,” Agard said. For thousands of underserved Trinbagonians, this mission has already changed that outcome — and future trips hope to bring clear vision to thousands more.

  • Misiekaba: medicatievoorziening moet weer stabiel en betaalbaar worden

    Misiekaba: medicatievoorziening moet weer stabiel en betaalbaar worden

    Suriname’s Minister of Public Health, Welfare and Labor (VWA), André Misiekaba, has announced the government’s ongoing push for systemic, long-term improvements to the country’s medication supply network, with the goal of making essential drugs more accessible and affordable for all citizens in the near term. In a recent statement outlining the government’s policy priorities, Misiekaba framed essential medication as a core strategic public good that requires active state stewardship, rather than being left to unregulated market forces. He drew a direct parallel between reliable medication access and other fundamental public infrastructure such as potable water and electrical power, noting that the state bears a central responsibility for maintaining all three critical services. “For me, medication is a strategic asset, just like drinking water and electricity,” Misiekaba stated. “Just as we never cede control over these basic provisions, essential medicines must remain within the state’s sphere of responsibility.”

    At the heart of the country’s medication supply system is the Suriname Pharmaceutical Supply Company (BGVS), a state-owned entity established in 1983 tasked with the centralized procurement and distribution of essential generic medications, commonly referred to as “klappermedicamenten” in Suriname. Misiekaba explained that when the current administration took office, a review found that the BGVS had been significantly weakened over preceding years, eroding its role as the nation’s key drug price regulator and primary supplier. This institutional decline, he noted, directly translated into widespread shortages and inflated prices for life-saving medications across Suriname, leaving many residents unable to access the treatments they need.

    To reverse these declines, the government has implemented a series of targeted recovery measures over the past several months. These changes include the appointment of a new executive leadership team at BGVS, the partial clearance of the organization’s outstanding debt, and ongoing government investment to strengthen both the financial position and operational capacity of the state drug agency. Additional public funds have also been allocated to allow BGVS to negotiate directly with international pharmaceutical suppliers and secure bulk purchases of essential medications at lower cost.

    Looking ahead, Misiekaba expressed confidence that Suriname’s population will begin to see tangible improvements in essential medication availability over the coming months. He reaffirmed the government’s long-term commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive public health system that guarantees all Surinamese citizens equal access to necessary life-saving medications.