Carib Scope

分类： health

  • Health : Launch of the national project «My Cleanliness, My Health»

    Health : Launch of the national project «My Cleanliness, My Health»

    In a significant public health mobilization, Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health has inaugurated a sweeping national initiative titled “Pwòpte m se sante m” (My Cleanliness, My Health). Spearheaded by the Directorate of Health Promotion and Environmental Protection, this multi-faceted program represents a strategic response to the nation’s critical hygiene and sanitation challenges.

    The project specifically targets high-risk environments where vulnerable populations face elevated health threats, including prisons, displacement camps, and regional healthcare facilities. These locations have been identified as breeding grounds for infectious diseases such as cholera, scabies, and various parasitic conditions that thrive in unsanitary conditions.

    Organized around four strategic pillars, the initiative encompasses comprehensive interventions:

    1. Prison Sanitation Enhancement: Implementing intensive decontamination protocols, disinfecting living quarters and sanitation facilities, conducting fumigation against disease vectors, and rehabilitating critical water access points to meet established hygiene standards.

    2. Displacement Camp Support: Establishing regular sanitation services and permanent community health posts in Port-au-Prince’s densely populated displacement camps through organized clean-up campaigns, improved waste management systems, and reinforced WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure.

    3. Mobile Medical Services: Deploying mobile clinic units to provide incarcerated individuals with direct healthcare access, including comprehensive medical consultations, systematic screening for tuberculosis, STIs/HIV, and scabies, alongside essential medication distribution.

    4. Hospital Infection Control: Strengthening hygiene protocols in departmental hospitals through targeted decontamination of critical care areas including delivery rooms and surgical theaters, alongside implementing safe biomedical waste disposal systems to meet prevention standards.

    This coordinated effort marks a proactive approach to epidemic prevention through environmental health improvements, representing one of Haiti’s most comprehensive public health interventions targeting institutional sanitation infrastructure.

  • Orchid Kelly Trinidad: 25-year-old with breast cancer asks for help with her treatments

    Orchid Kelly Trinidad: 25-year-old with breast cancer asks for help with her treatments

    In a devastating healthcare setback, 25-year-old Orquídea ‘Rubi’ Trinidad faces an intensified battle against triple-negative infiltrating ductal carcinoma after her insurance provider declined coverage for a potentially life-saving immunotherapy treatment.

    Trinidad initially received her diagnosis of this aggressive breast cancer variant in April 2023. Despite undergoing multiple treatment protocols, recent biopsy results confirmed in October that the cancer has returned with increased virulence and rapid progression.

    Medical specialists have recommended Tocilizumab, an immunotherapy regimen requiring administration every 21 days across six sessions. While this pharmaceutical intervention represents a promising therapeutic avenue, its substantial cost falls outside the coverage parameters of Trinidad’s ASA health insurance policy.

    ‘The pain is inevitable,’ Trinidad stated with resolute yet anguished composure. ‘Sleep eludes me, and I require potent pain management medications simply to endure daily existence.’

    This case highlights growing concerns about insurance coverage gaps for innovative cancer treatments, particularly for young adults confronting aggressive malignancies. The financial barrier between patients and potentially effective therapies continues to present critical challenges within healthcare systems worldwide.

    Medical advocates emphasize that timely access to appropriate treatments remains crucial for improving outcomes in aggressive cancer cases, especially when standard protocols have proven ineffective against disease recurrence.

  • FAO and partners help Saint Lucia, Grenada, SVG and Saint Kitts and Nevis step-up efforts to prioritize zoonotic diseases and shape policy using One Health Approach – The Voice St. Lucia News

    FAO and partners help Saint Lucia, Grenada, SVG and Saint Kitts and Nevis step-up efforts to prioritize zoonotic diseases and shape policy using One Health Approach – The Voice St. Lucia News

    Four Eastern Caribbean nations have significantly advanced their capabilities to address zoonotic disease threats through a series of specialized workshops conducted in November 2025. Saint Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Kitts and Nevis brought together 72 officials from public health, agriculture, and environmental sectors, alongside academic and private sector representatives, to implement a coordinated approach to disease prioritization.

    The initiative, supported technically by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), employed an adapted PANAFTOSA methodology to evaluate 40 zoonotic diseases against multiple criteria. The comprehensive assessment framework examined human transmissibility, animal-to-human transmission potential, severity of public health impact, economic consequences, surveillance feasibility, climate sensitivity, and effects on vulnerable populations.

    This evidence-based process enabled each participating nation to generate validated, context-specific priority lists of zoonotic diseases, creating a solid foundation for public policies operating at the human-animal-environment interface. The workshops also established concrete next steps for coordinated national action, including strengthening multisectoral surveillance systems, harmonizing case definitions and operating procedures, improving information-sharing mechanisms, and developing comprehensive emergency response plans.

    Dr. Frédérique Dorleans of PAHO/WHO emphasized the critical importance of these collaborative workshops, noting they represent significant progress in preparedness and capacity-building for emerging infectious health threats. Meanwhile, Tania de Getrouwe Hoost, FAO’s Lead Technical Officer, highlighted the technical rigor of the prioritization methodology, which integrates epidemiological, environmental, and socioeconomic criteria to guide national decision-making.

    The workshops form part of the broader “Strengthening Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies in the Eastern Caribbean Countries” project, funded by the Pandemic Fund and implemented through a collaboration between national governments, PAHO/WHO, FAO, and the World Bank. This initiative marks a substantial step toward enhancing regional health security and building resilience against emerging health threats in the Caribbean basin.

  • Why everyone’s talking about batana oil – from ancestral wisdom to modern haircare hero

    Why everyone’s talking about batana oil – from ancestral wisdom to modern haircare hero

    A traditional Honduran hair care ingredient has captured global attention, transitioning from indigenous ritual to social media sensation. Batana oil, extracted from the nuts of the American oil palm, has become the latest obsession in beauty circles, praised for its remarkable hair-restorative properties.

    This amber-brown oil with a distinctive nutty aroma originates from the rainforest region of La Mosquitia, Honduras, where the indigenous Miskito people have hand-processed it for generations. The area’s reputation for hair health is so established that it’s commonly referred to as “the Land of Beautiful Hair.”

    Biochemist Cheryl Bowles, founder of Cher-Mere products with over three decades of experience studying plant-based ingredients, explains the science behind batana oil’s effectiveness. “When you strip away the hype, every ingredient must stand on its own chemistry,” Bowles states. “Batana oil has a very specific profile that makes it effective for strengthening, conditioning, and protecting the hair shaft.”

    The oil’s potency derives from its unique composition: essential fatty acids (oleic and linoleic) that nourish and soften hair, antioxidants including Vitamin E and beta-carotene that protect against oxidative stress, and a balanced combination of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that provide both richness and protective coating abilities.

    For Caribbean hair specifically, which faces constant exposure to heat, humidity, hard water, and chemical treatments, batana oil offers particular benefits. Its heavy yet penetrative structure works deep into the hair shaft while forming a protective barrier that helps retain moisture—especially valuable in humid climates where hydration evaporates quickly.

    Beyond its cosmetic applications, batana oil represents a cultural legacy. The Miskito people’s traditional techniques—slow-roasting, hand-cracking, and filtering—have supported community development while preserving the palm’s ecosystem for generations.

    Bowles emphasizes the importance of honoring these origins while applying modern scientific rigor. Her development process involved testing batana oil’s performance on varying hair textures and creating blends with complementary oils like rosemary and tea tree to enhance strength and scalp health.

    The current popularity of batana oil reflects a broader shift toward ingredients with authentic roots and proven efficacy. As Bowles notes, “We’re seeing a return to ancestral knowledge. People want ingredients that come from the earth, from real history, and that actually work.”

    Users report multiple benefits including softer, more manageable hair, reduced scalp dryness and flaking, decreased shedding, and improved shine without greasiness. The oil can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment, overnight mask, scalp massage oil, leave-in sealant, or enhancer when blended with other botanical oils.

  • Hanover residents urged to remain vigilant against leptospirosis

    Hanover residents urged to remain vigilant against leptospirosis

    Health authorities in Hanover, Jamaica, are maintaining their alert against leptospirosis transmission despite observing a downward trend in both confirmed and suspected infections. Andrene Smith-Benjamin, the parish’s Health Promotion and Education Officer, has issued comprehensive guidance for residents engaged in Christmas cleanup activities, emphasizing the critical need for protective equipment like waterproof boots and gloves.

    The bacterial disease, primarily transmitted through contact with urine from infected rats, poses a significant environmental threat as the pathogen can persist in contaminated water and damp soil for several months. Smith-Benjamin specifically warned that improper footwear and lack of hand protection during cleanup operations substantially increases infection risks.

    During a recent Ministry of Health and Wellness outreach event at Ramble Health Centre, the health official delivered crucial food safety recommendations, urging residents to meticulously inspect all food items for evidence of rodent interference. Consumers should discard any packaged goods showing signs of bites, tampering, damaged packaging, or exposure to floodwaters. Particular caution was advised regarding rusty, dented, or unlabeled canned goods.

    Smith-Benjamin further highlighted the danger of newly formed water bodies created by recent hurricane activity, noting these constitute high-risk contamination sources. The bacteria can enter the body through mouth exposure or open wounds during swimming activities. Vulnerable individuals with cuts or abrasions face particularly severe risks when contacting potentially contaminated water.

    Leptospirosis manifests through symptoms including fever, muscle and joint pain (especially in calf and back regions), gastrointestinal distress, and jaundice evidenced by yellowing eyes or skin. While treatable with prompt medical intervention, the disease can prove fatal if left untreated. Health authorities strongly recommend immediate hospital visitation upon symptom appearance and continued adherence to safe hygiene, food handling, and environmental cleanup practices.

  • National flu-season plan urged as holiday illness surge looms

    National flu-season plan urged as holiday illness surge looms

    Barbados is confronting an anticipated increase in respiratory illnesses during the holiday season, prompting urgent calls for a coordinated national response strategy. Dr. Kenneth Connell, newly appointed Independent Senator and Deputy Dean of Recruitment and Outreach at the UWI Faculty of Medical Sciences, has highlighted the nation’s particular vulnerability as it enters the initial phase of its annual flu season.

    The island’s status as a premier tourist destination creates unique epidemiological challenges, with respiratory viruses circulating in temperate regions like the United Kingdom and United States typically reaching Barbadian shores within weeks. “Whatever happens in our main tourist markets eventually arrives here in a few weeks,” Senator Connell observed, emphasizing the predictable pattern of viral transmission.

    While hospital systems have maintained certain COVID-19 protocols including continued mask mandates in clinical settings, Connell identifies significant gaps in public health preparedness. He notes the absence of visible public awareness campaigns despite improved general knowledge about respiratory illness prevention since the pandemic.

    The medical expert advocates for establishing a structured national framework similar to hurricane preparedness protocols. “You know it’s going to happen, so there should be a taskforce looking at this,” he stated, proposing a unified approach involving both public and private healthcare providers, businesses, and institutions with large workforces.

    Particular concern is directed toward protecting vulnerable populations including elderly residents in multi-generational households and individuals living with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. These groups face significantly higher risks of developing serious complications from respiratory infections that might cause only mild symptoms in healthier individuals.

    The holiday season presents additional challenges for healthcare infrastructure, as hospitals traditionally restrict staff leave while simultaneously confronting increased absenteeism due to illness. Connell issued a strong warning against working while sick, emphasizing that this practice accelerates workplace transmission and ultimately exacerbates system pressures.

    Regarding recent COVID-19 case increases, Connell characterized these as expected seasonal patterns rather than cause for alarm. He indicated that healthcare institutions are implementing contingency measures including deploying locum doctors and additional staff to maintain critical services throughout the holiday period.

  • Unión Médica performs the first robotic spine surgery in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean

    Unión Médica performs the first robotic spine surgery in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean

    SANTIAGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – In a landmark achievement for Caribbean medicine, Clínica Universitaria Unión Médica del Norte (CUUMN) has successfully performed the region’s first robotic-assisted spine surgery using GLOBUS MEDICAL’s cutting-edge Excelsius GPS® system. This revolutionary procedure establishes the Dominican Republic as a leader in advanced spinal surgical technology.

    The groundbreaking operation was conducted by distinguished spinal surgeons Dr. Iohan S. Fernandez R. and Dr. Osmar Corona, who executed a minimally invasive posterior lumbar arthrodesis (MISS-TLIF) at the L4–L5 and L5–S1 levels. This sophisticated technique represents one of the most significant advancements in contemporary spinal surgery methodology.

    The Excelsius GPS® robotic navigation platform delivers millimeter-level precision during implant placement, substantially reducing reliance on continuous X-ray imaging. This technological innovation minimizes radiation exposure for both patients and medical personnel while enhancing procedural safety.

    This state-of-the-art system combines a fully stabilized robotic arm with integrated 3D and 2D navigation capabilities, optimizing the safety, efficiency, and reproducibility of spinal interventions. International clinical studies have demonstrated nearly 100% accuracy in lumbar fixation system placement alongside notable reductions in surgical duration.

    Patient benefits include reduced morbidity rates, lower infection risks, diminished postoperative pain, and accelerated recovery timelines. The minimally invasive approach facilitates smaller incisions, decreased blood loss, and minimal soft tissue damage, enabling patients to resume normal activities significantly faster.

    The historic procedure was supported by a multidisciplinary medical team comprising:
    – Dr. Iohan Sahil Fernández Román, Spine Surgeon
    – Dr. Osmar Corona, Spine Surgeon
    – Dr. Francisco Basora, Neurosurgeon
    – Dr. Saira Pérez, Anesthesiologist
    – Additional specialists including neurophysiologists, radiologists, and surgical technicians

    This medical milestone positions Clínica Universitaria Unión Médica del Norte as a pioneering institution in robotic spinal surgery, establishing new standards for medical innovation throughout the Caribbean region. The acquisition of the Excelsius GPS® system – the first of its kind in the Dominican Republic and Caribbean – reinforces the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, research advancement, and world-class medical care.

  • Respiratory viruses continue to plague the Dominican population.

    Respiratory viruses continue to plague the Dominican population.

    The Dominican Republic is confronting an unusually severe and prolonged respiratory virus season, with epidemiological data revealing significantly elevated levels of viral circulation. According to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Public Health (Bulletin 49), 2025 has witnessed a steady escalation in respiratory virus activity, marked by the persistent co-circulation of influenza A and B, SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and metapneumovirus.

    This complex viral landscape presents substantial public health challenges, including increased risks of co-infections, respiratory complications, and mounting strain on healthcare infrastructure. The epidemiological pattern aligns with broader hemispheric trends reported by PAHO/WHO, indicating recent respiratory seasons have grown more intense, irregular, and extended in duration.

    The most significant epidemiological development of 2025 is the unprecedented behavior of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Surveillance data shows a dramatic surge beginning in epidemiological week 38, with infection rates peaking between weeks 40-45 at levels far exceeding those recorded throughout 2024. This RSV surge has generated substantial cases of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, driving increased hospitalizations among infants who developed heightened susceptibility following seasons of low viral exposure.

    Environmental factors including frequent rainfall, elevated humidity levels, and temperature fluctuations have contributed to enhanced viral transmission dynamics. This pattern mirrors observations from multiple nations including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Chile, where RSV has demonstrated earlier emergence and larger infection peaks.

    The current epidemiological situation has precipitated increased demand for emergency services, pediatric hospitalizations, and intensive care resources. Minor fluctuations in respiratory virus curves now translate to significant operational pressures on healthcare delivery systems.

    In response, health authorities have strengthened virological surveillance through expanded sampling protocols and enhanced real-time reporting via the SINAVE system. Additional measures include intensified monitoring of bed occupancy rates, activation of rapid referral pathways for critically ill pediatric patients, and ensuring availability of essential medical supplies.

    Preventive strategies include promoting influenza vaccination among vulnerable populations and implementing community interventions focused on respiratory hygiene, reduction of overcrowding, and encouraging early medical consultation. Despite these efforts, structural challenges persist including limited ICU and neonatal ICU capacity alongside disparities in territorial healthcare access.

    This complex epidemiological scenario underscores the necessity for sustained, multi-sectoral strategies to reduce illness burden during an increasingly active and prolonged respiratory virus season.

  • India and Cuba enhance cooperation in traditional medicine

    India and Cuba enhance cooperation in traditional medicine

    In a significant advancement for global healthcare collaboration, representatives from sixteen nations have formalized a comprehensive partnership in traditional medicine through a newly signed memorandum of understanding. The agreement establishes a Joint Working Group under the leadership of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) to drive multinational cooperation in curriculum development, public health integration, and regulatory standardization for Ayurvedic practices.

    This diplomatic initiative coincides with the World Health Organization member states meeting in Delhi, where traditional medicine has emerged as a central theme for international health policy. The summit has entered a critical phase with high-level discussions focusing on scientific validation, research investment, safety protocols, and systemic healthcare integration for traditional therapies.

    Entitled “Restoring Balance: The Science and Practice of Health and Wellbeing,” the conference sessions directly support the recently adopted WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034. The proceedings aim to transform strategic vision into practical implementation frameworks for participating nations, positioning traditional medicine as a fundamental component of equitable and resilient global healthcare ecosystems.

    The memorandum specifically addresses Panchakarma training standardization and regulatory coherence, creating structured pathways for international Ayurvedic education and practice. This development represents a concrete step toward mainstreaming traditional healing modalities within contemporary public health infrastructures worldwide.

  • MBS spends more than $40m a year on NCD drugs and overseas care

    MBS spends more than $40m a year on NCD drugs and overseas care

    Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare system is grappling with a significant financial burden, as revealed by Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph. The nation’s Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) allocates over $40 million annually to address mounting health challenges, primarily driven by non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

    Minister Joseph, speaking at the inauguration of a new polyclinic, provided a detailed breakdown of this substantial expenditure. Approximately $25 million is channeled each year into pharmaceutical purchases through the OECD Drug Procurement Programme, a strategic partnership that helps mitigate medication costs. The majority of these drugs are essential for managing chronic conditions, with diabetes treatments representing a considerable portion.

    An additional $15 million is dedicated to overseas medical referrals for specialized treatments not available within the country’s domestic healthcare infrastructure. Minister Joseph expressed deep concern over the ‘alarming’ escalation in NCD-related fatalities, directly linking this trend to lifestyle factors. He emphasized the critical importance of preventive healthcare strategies, advocating for improved nutrition and regular physical activity supported by broader collaborative efforts.

    MBS Board Chairman Sir Heston Benjamin highlighted that the newly opened polyclinic pharmacy aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and patient convenience. Andre Howell, Head of MBS Pharmaceutical Services, noted that the facility represents an evolution in healthcare delivery, reflecting an increased focus on chronic illness management including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory conditions.

    The ceremonial opening concluded with a ribbon-cutting event attended by Minister Joseph and Keston Simon, Chief Executive of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, marking a significant step in the nation’s healthcare modernization efforts.