Carib Scope

分类： health

  • New medical products authority coming under reform bill

    New medical products authority coming under reform bill

    The government of Barbados has introduced landmark legislation to the Senate that will overhaul the country’s decades-old drug regulatory system, laying the groundwork for a new independent authority designed to boost oversight, expand access to critical medical products, and build a domestic and regional pharmaceutical sector.

    Senator Jerome Walcott, Senior Minister coordinating Social and Environmental Policy and leading the Social Sector Reform initiative, presented the Barbados Medical Products Bill to the upper legislative chamber on Wednesday. He framed the proposal as the most transformative update to the island nation’s drug regulation framework since the Barbados Drug Service was founded in 1980. Under the plan, the newly created Barbados Medical Products Authority (BMPA) will operate as a modern, self-governing regulatory body with jurisdiction over all medicines, medical devices, and related health products distributed and used across Barbados.

    “This new body will serve as a modern, autonomous national regulator tasked with overseeing all medical products and guaranteeing that every product available to Barbadians meets strict international benchmarks for quality, safety, and therapeutic effectiveness,” Walcott explained. A former health minister, Walcott added that the BMPA will deliver three core public and economic benefits: it will expand access to proven safe and effective medications, strengthen national public health safeguards, and create a supportive regulatory environment for pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, and the broader life sciences industry. The bill is a central plank of the government’s broader push to modernize the national health regulatory ecosystem and establish Barbados as a leading center for regulatory science across the Caribbean region.

    Walcott traced the impetus for the reform to critical gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, when small developing nations around the globe faced crippling barriers accessing life-saving vaccines, drugs, and medical supplies. “The pandemic laid bare deep inequities in access to vaccines, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, even basic supplies like nasal swabs,” Walcott said. “We had the resources, we were ready to purchase critical supplies, but producing and exporting nations simply could not prioritize us for delivery.” This experience pushed the Barbados government to prioritize reducing the country’s vulnerability to future global supply chain disruptions, he noted.

    Plans for the reform were further refined following discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame during his official visit to Barbados in April 2022. During those talks, Kagame shared Rwanda’s strategy to build domestic vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, including its high-profile partnership with German biotechnology firm BioNTech to produce messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. “That conversation directly sparked our interest in pursuing a similar path here in Barbados,” Walcott said.

    Following that meeting, Barbados developed a formal, long-term strategy to grow its domestic pharmaceutical industry. With funding and support from the Susan Thomas Buffett Foundation, the government began work on a foundational policy white paper and the development of a robust, internationally aligned regulatory framework. Walcott explained that global standards require nations to reach World Health Organization (WHO) Regulatory Maturity Level 3 before they can qualify for large-scale, internationally recognized pharmaceutical manufacturing, a benchmark Barbados has not yet hit. “Right now, our regulatory system is still in the early stages; we are currently at Level 1,” he said.

    The final legislation that reached the Senate this week was shaped by months of extensive stakeholder consultations, targeted technical assistance, and specialized training programs. The European Union provided critical development support for the initiative, while Rwandan government officials and legal experts shared hands-on experience building their own national regulatory framework, helping Barbados avoid common pitfalls in the process. In addition to the new regulatory authority, the government has already established Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc., a state-owned entity that marks another key milestone in preparing the country for future manufacturing operations.

    One of the BMPA’s core new responsibilities will be handling marketing authorization for all medical products, a function currently managed by the existing Barbados Drug Service. Walcott acknowledged that the government’s goal of reaching WHO Maturity Level 3 by 2028 is an ambitious target, but emphasized that the administration is committed to advancing the reform as quickly and effectively as possible to unlock the economic and public health benefits of a robust domestic pharmaceutical sector.

  • Syphilis cases increasing

    Syphilis cases increasing

    Barbados is facing a notable surge in new syphilis infections, prompting the country’s Ministry of Health and Wellness to issue a renewed public alert urging all adults to prioritize sexual health protection through evidence-based preventive measures, routine screening and timely medical intervention.

    Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is both fully preventable and curable with appropriate care, often flies under the radar for affected people. The infection is characterized by mild or even completely asymptomatic early stages, meaning many carriers remain unaware they have contracted the pathogen and can spread it to sexual partners unknowingly.

    Official national surveillance data compiled by health authorities paints a clear picture of the growing trend: between 2024 and 2025, new reported cases climbed from 107 to 156, a year-over-year increase of roughly 46%. Young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 have consistently accounted for the largest share of new infections in both reporting years, representing 40.2% of cases in 2024 and 37.8% of cases in 2025. Within this age bracket, men made up the majority of confirmed cases, at 72.1% in 2024 and 61% in 2025.

    The data also shows a concurrent rise in syphilis screening across the country. The Best dos Santos Public Health Laboratory, the island nation’s leading public health testing facility, processed 14,835 syphilis tests in 2025, up from 12,731 tests conducted in 2024. Over the past five years, syphilis positivity rates among tested individuals have fluctuated between 2.1% and 4.1%, resulting in a five-year average positivity rate of 2.9%.

    To help the public recognize potential infection, health officials outlined the common, often subtle symptoms of syphilis. Early infection typically presents as a painless open sore on the genitals, anus or mouth. As the infection progresses, a non-itchy rash often develops, most frequently on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. Other possible symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, low-grade fever, persistent fatigue, sore throat and generalized body aches. Because these symptoms are mild, intermittent, and easily mistaken for other common illnesses, many people dismiss them and forego testing. Crucially, even if visible symptoms resolve on their own without treatment, the underlying infection remains in the body and will progress to more advanced stages over time.

    Left untreated, syphilis can cause severe, permanent and irreversible damage to critical organ systems, including the brain, heart and blood vessels, leading to long-term disability or even death. For pregnant people, untreated syphilis carries devastating risks, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and life-threatening congenital illness in newborns. Health officials emphasize that all of these severe outcomes are entirely avoidable through early detection via screening and prompt, effective treatment.

    The Ministry of Health and Wellness is calling on all sexually active Barbadians to undergo regular syphilis testing, particularly for individuals who have new or multiple sexual partners. Testing is straightforward, widely accessible through both public and private healthcare providers across the island. Correct and consistent condom use remains one of the most effective individual-level interventions to reduce the risk of contracting syphilis and other common STIs.

    Anyone who receives a positive syphilis test result is advised to start treatment immediately and notify all recent sexual partners so they can also get tested and treated if needed. Pregnant people are reminded that attending antenatal care early in pregnancy enables routine STI screening and early intervention to protect the health of both parent and child. Health officials also highlighted that sexual health protection is a shared responsibility for all sexual partners.

    Moving forward, the Ministry of Health and Wellness will maintain ongoing surveillance of STI transmission trends across Barbados. It will continue collaborating with frontline healthcare providers, community organizations and the general public to strengthen prevention outreach, expand access to testing and treatment, and improve public education about sexual health risks and protective measures across the island.

  • PAHO: Lage belastingen remmen strijd tegen suiker en alcohol

    PAHO: Lage belastingen remmen strijd tegen suiker en alcohol

    Two new studies released by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have delivered a stark warning: current excise taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages across the Americas are far too low to meaningfully reduce consumption and prevent the spread of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), even as the region registers some of the highest per-capita consumption rates of these products globally.

    The PAHO analysis finds that across the region, average tax burdens on common alcoholic beverages fall well below global benchmarks. Beer carries an average tax rate of just 25.5 percent of retail price, compared to a global average of 29.4 percent. For distilled spirits, the regional average tax rate sits at 31.5 percent, while the global average reaches 38.7 percent. For sugar-sweetened beverages, the average regional tax amounts to only 17.1 percent of retail price, slightly below the global average of 17.8 percent. To compound this issue, one-third of all countries and territories in the Americas impose no special tax on sugary drinks at all.

    This policy gap comes at a particularly worrying time for public health in the region, especially across Latin America and the Caribbean, where consumption of both sugary beverages and alcohol already outpaces most of the world. On average, adults in the region consume 7.8 servings of sugary drinks per week, nearly three times the global average of 2.7 servings.

    High, sustained consumption of these products is directly linked to a sharp rise in severe, life-altering chronic health conditions across the Americas. Data shows 67.5 percent of adults in the region are currently overweight or living with obesity, and elevated consumption of sugary drinks and alcohol also drives higher rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple forms of cancer, liver disease, and other chronic NCDs. Excessive alcohol use is additionally associated with higher rates of accidental injuries and interpersonal violence in communities across the region.

    Despite the widespread under-implementation of effective health taxes, the reports also highlight encouraging progress across a small but growing number of regional states. Barbados has introduced new targeted taxes on unhealthy products, Colombia recently enacted reforms to raise existing health tax rates, and Dominica has increased excise duties across tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages. These early actions, PAHO notes, demonstrate that governments in the region are already taking steps to better protect public health for their populations.

    PAHO emphasizes that well-designed health taxes deliver two core public benefits: they reduce consumer demand for harmful products by raising prices, and they generate dedicated public revenue that can be reinvested into strengthening public health systems and expanding social support programs. Research also shows that effective taxation can delay the onset of alcohol use among adolescents and cut overall consumption of sugary drinks across all age groups.

    Still, significant barriers remain for most countries in the region. Many keep tax rates artificially low, limit the scope of products covered by existing taxes, or fail to update rates regularly to account for inflation that erodes their impact over time. In addition, many common high-sugar products such as sweetened dairy drinks and commercial fruit juices are often excluded from taxation entirely, creating a loophole that pushes consumers to shift their consumption to these unregulated unhealthy alternatives.

    Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, explained the core gap facing regional policymakers: “In many countries, the existing taxes are not designed in line with international best practices, and they are too low to meaningfully change consumption behavior or reduce overall population health risks.”

    To address these gaps, PAHO is urging all member states to strengthen their health tax frameworks by implementing more structured tax systems, raising rates to impactful levels, expanding coverage to include all sugary and alcoholic products, and adding regular inflation adjustments to maintain policy effectiveness over time. The organization also notes that strong enforcement and ongoing monitoring are required to maximize the impact of these taxes on reducing harmful consumption.

    “PAHO continues to provide technical support to member states as they implement health taxes, a proven intervention to reduce risk factors and protect population health,” Hennis added.

    The two reports were first presented in May during a public webinar co-hosted by PAHO and Johns Hopkins University, and they contribute to ongoing global efforts to monitor fiscal policies that align with core public health goals around the world.

  • Public statement: Chief Veterinary Officer on unathorised importation of horses

    Public statement: Chief Veterinary Officer on unathorised importation of horses

    Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry has issued an official public announcement detailing a high-stakes biosecurity incident that unfolded after an attempt to smuggle two horses into the country from St. Lucia without required legal authorization. Under Grenada’s Animal Disease and Importation Act (Cap. 15), the Veterinary and Livestock Division holds exclusive authority as the competent body for issuing animal import permits, and no approval was granted for this shipment, making the attempted cross-border movement a direct violation of national law.

    Following interception of the unauthorized shipment, official health verification from St. Lucia’s Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed a devastating finding: both horses tested positive for *Babesia spp.*, the parasite that causes equine babesiosis, a life-threatening tick-borne disease that is currently not present in Grenada. National biosecurity policy explicitly bars entry to any animal testing positive for the pathogen, as an outbreak would pose an immediate, severe threat to the country’s existing equine population.

    A full technical assessment confirmed that Grenada lacked the infrastructure and resources to safely manage the infected animals. The country has no operational quarantine facilities designed to house and isolate high-risk *Babesia*-positive animals, no specialized medications or equipment to treat the infection, and no external domestic partners able to step in to provide these critical resources. With no feasible, legally compliant pathway to admit, isolate or treat the horses on Grenadian soil, and with returning the animals to St. Lucia deemed unworkable, officials moved forward with mandated protective measures aligned with international standards.

    In line with national legislation, international biosecurity protocols, and formal recommendations from the Caribbean Animal Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), the two horses were humanely euthanized following accepted veterinary welfare standards, and their remains were immediately incinerated under full official supervision to eliminate all risk of infectious material spreading. The Ministry emphasized that these actions are not punitive or extraordinary: they represent standard sanitary procedure used globally to block the introduction of destructive transboundary animal diseases.

    Under Grenada’s existing legislation, the Chief Veterinary Officer is legally required to prioritize preventing the entry of foreign animal diseases, reject high-risk shipments, and order necessary measures to protect the health of the national herd, as well as broader public and economic health. Officials outlined the severe potential consequences of allowing the infected horses to enter the country: given the widespread presence of tick vectors across Grenada and the lack of mitigation infrastructure, the disease would almost certainly become established and endemic. This would lead to chronic infection and death among local equines, skyrocketing veterinary and disease control costs, and potential trade restrictions on Grenadian animal and animal product exports that would harm the national agricultural economy.

    The Ministry stressed that the decision to euthanize the horses was made exclusively on technical and legal grounds, not political considerations. The action complies fully with national law, adheres to globally recognized animal health and biosecurity best practices, and aligns with expert guidance from regional animal health authorities at CAHFSA. Moving forward, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to fair and consistent enforcement of animal import regulations, ongoing protection of Grenada’s disease-free animal population status, and transparent public communication about matters impacting national biosecurity. Members of the public with additional technical questions are directed to contact the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer within the Veterinary and Livestock Division.

  • SERHA urges Jamaicans to give blood and save lives this World Blood Donor Day

    SERHA urges Jamaicans to give blood and save lives this World Blood Donor Day

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – As the global community prepares to mark World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2026, Jamaica’s South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has launched a public appeal urging local residents to become regular voluntary blood donors to replenish the country’s critically low national blood reserves. Hospitals across the region are facing steadily rising demand for blood products to support life-saving emergency care and routine medical interventions, prompting health officials to call on community members to step forward and contribute to this public health priority. Donations ensure that vulnerable patients can access the critical care they require at the moment they need it most, officials emphasized. As a core part of SERHA’s long-term strategy to strengthen national blood stockpiles, two large-scale public blood donation drives have been scheduled over the coming weeks to make participation accessible for community members across the region. The first drive will be hosted by Spanish Town Hospital on Saturday, June 20, 2026, running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the facility’s on-site Blood Collection Centre. The second drive is set to take place at Victoria Jubilee Hospital on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, operating from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the hospital’s main parking lot. SERHA officials outlined the wide range of medical scenarios that rely on a steady supply of donated blood. It is an indispensable resource for patients undergoing complex surgical procedures, trauma patients injured in accidents, expectant mothers experiencing life-threatening complications during childbirth, people undergoing cancer treatment, and individuals managing chronic blood-related illnesses. Health leaders stress that just one single blood donation has the potential to save multiple lives, and consistent donations are the only way for hospitals to maintain an adequate supply to respond to unexpected surges in demand during public health emergencies or mass casualty events. Dr. Jacqueline Wright-James, Senior Medical Officer at Spanish Town Hospital, highlighted that maintaining a consistent, reliable pool of regular voluntary donors is foundational to a well-functioning public health system. “You never know when you or a member of your family may need an emergency blood transfusion, so there is no reason to wait to register as a donor,” Wright-James explained. “Regular donors fill an irreplaceable role that guarantees hospitals are fully prepared to handle emergencies and meet ongoing patient care needs.” Wright-James also used the campaign to address widespread misconceptions that have discouraged many potential donors from participating, reassuring the public that the entire donation process is strictly safe, minimally invasive, and even offers small health benefits to donors. “A common myth holds that donating blood leaves donors feeling weak long-term, but this is completely untrue,” she noted. “The human body rapidly replaces the volume of fluid and red blood cells that are donated, so donors can return to their normal daily activities with full strength and function almost immediately. Donation even comes with unexpected perks for donors: it includes a free pre-donation health screening, can help reduce excess iron buildup in the bloodstream, and even burns a small number of calories as the body works to regenerate the donated blood supply.” To help community members determine their eligibility before arriving at a drive, SERHA has published clear guidelines for potential donors. People qualify to give blood if they are between 16 and 60 years of age, weigh more than 110 pounds, have well-managed controlled high blood pressure, and are in generally good health and feeling well on the day of their scheduled donation.

  • Oncology Society urges early screening to combat prostate cancer in Dominican men

    Oncology Society urges early screening to combat prostate cancer in Dominican men

    In Santo Domingo, marking World Prostate Cancer Day, the Dominican Society of Medical Oncology (SDOM) has launched a urgent public appeal, calling on Dominican men to prioritize routine preventive screening and break down deep-rooted cultural stigmas that currently hinder early diagnosis of the nation’s most prevalent male cancer.

    SDOM President Ángela Cabreja underlined the life-saving importance of catching the disease in its earliest stages. Official data from the organization shows that when prostate cancer remains localized to the prostate gland, the five-year survival and cure rate tops 99%. Despite this promising statistic, Cabreja noted that a large share of patients only pursue medical care after the cancer has progressed to an advanced, harder-to-treat stage, a trend directly tied to cultural stigma around men’s health and preventive testing.

    New figures from the Global Cancer Observatory paint a stark public health picture for the Dominican Republic: the country logs roughly 4,918 new prostate cancer diagnoses annually, and sees around 2,120 deaths linked to the disease each year. This places the Dominican Republic among the nations with the highest prostate cancer incidence rates across the Latin American and Caribbean region. Medical specialists have outlined key modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for the disease, including advancing age, a family history of prostate cancer, inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, excess body weight, sedentary lifestyles, and diets heavy in processed and saturated fats.

    To guide public action, SDOM has outlined clear screening guidelines: all men aged 50 and older, as well as men 45 and older with a family history of the disease, should schedule annual urological check-ups. Oncological specialists recommend combining two complementary screening tools: the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam, emphasizing that neither test can adequately replace the other for comprehensive early detection.

    SDOM also acknowledged that recent medical advances in prostate cancer treatment have dramatically improved patient outcomes and reduced the severity of treatment side effects in recent years. Even with these treatment gains, however, the organization reiterated that preventive care and early diagnosis remain the single most effective tools to reduce mortality from the disease. The society reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to expanding public awareness, increasing access to timely screening, and guaranteeing all Dominican prostate cancer patients access to high-quality, evidence-based care.

  • ‘Mystery patients’ to monitor public health facilities

    ‘Mystery patients’ to monitor public health facilities

    Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness is launching a multi-pronged strategy to address longstanding public grievances over subpar customer service at government-run health facilities, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton confirmed Wednesday. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Carol Picart Courtyard at Kingston’s Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Tufton framed the new measures as a complementary reform to ongoing government investments in facility construction and infrastructure upgrades, noting that physical improvements alone cannot deliver a stronger, more patient-centered health system.

    “We cannot build new buildings, equip them, and don’t have a different mindset. That’s the future of a reformed, improved health system,” Tufton told assembled health officials and industry stakeholders. “We need to focus on the people and on the attitude as to how we improve.”

    At the core of the new oversight framework is a program modeled after the private sector’s mystery shopper initiative, which will deploy so-called “mystery patients” to pose as ordinary care seekers in public health waiting areas and triage queues. These undercover observers will document staff availability, responsiveness and adherence to customer service standards, compiling detailed reports for ministry leadership. Tufton explained that the program is designed to capture unfiltered, real-world insights into daily operations, rather than the polished, prepared displays that often accompany pre-announced inspections.

    Complementing the mystery patient program is a brand-new internal investigations department created specifically to probe formal complaints of service failure. The specialized unit will dispatch independent investigators to affected facilities to collect witness statements, gather evidence and produce formal reports for both the Minister’s office and the Permanent Secretary’s office. Tufton emphasized that the unit will eliminate the longstanding culture of unaccountability for poor service, stating that “the days of people doing things with excuses, we have to bring that to an end.” All investigation findings will be reviewed by a governing board, which will issue disciplinary or corrective recommendations based on the evidence.

    Tufton also announced that unannounced spot checks by the Minister and other senior ministry officials will become a regular occurrence across all public health institutions. He joked that pre-announced visits often trigger temporary, surface-level improvements — from cleaned floors to suddenly compliant staff uniform policies — that disappear as soon as official visitors leave. Unannounced checks, by contrast, will reveal the true daily conditions patients face.

    The Minister stressed that the reforms are not intended as a rebuke of the health system’s overall workforce, acknowledging that the vast majority of patients receive adequate care and that the system serves more than three million patients annually across Jamaica, an enormous operational responsibility. He urged health staff not to become defensive, but to commit to incremental improvement. “I am not saying all of this to say that I am here to prosecute anyone,” he said. “It’s a huge portfolio that involves millions of Jamaicans. It’s a big task.”

    Even so, Tufton made clear that the ministry will not tolerate persistent poor performance that undermines billions in government investment into public health. For staff who lack proper service training, the ministry will provide additional retraining to bring their performance up to standard. But for staff who refuse to adopt patient-focused practices, Tufton said, the ministry will take firm action: “who refuses to learn, they may have to go somewhere where they like the job. Because obviously they don’t like the job if they refuse to learn.”

  • Taxes on rum and sweet drinks still too low, Health Authorities say

    Taxes on rum and sweet drinks still too low, Health Authorities say

    Two new reports released by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) deliver a stark warning for the Americas: current health taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are insufficient to drive meaningful reductions in consumption, even as the region grapples with some of the highest global intake rates of these products and a growing burden of preventable noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

    Titled *Taxes on alcoholic beverages in the Americas* and *Taxes on sweetened beverages in the Americas*, the analyses find that average tax levels across the region consistently fall below global benchmarks, undermining what public health experts widely recognize as one of the most cost-effective interventions to improve population health. When broken down by product category, the median total tax burden on beer in the Americas hits just 25.5%, compared to a global median of 29.4%. For spirits, the regional average tax rate lands at 31.5%, well under the global median of 38.7%. For SSBs, the median tax burden equals only 17.1% of a product’s final retail price—slightly below the global median of 17.8%—with one-third of all regional nations imposing no tax whatsoever on sugary drinks.

    PAHO’s data underscores the urgent gap between policy and public health need: the Americas, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean, already lead the world in per capita consumption of both alcohol and SSBs. The average adult in the region consumes 7.8 servings of sugary beverages per week, nearly three times the global average of 2.7 servings.

    Elevated consumption of these products is directly tied to a cascade of severe negative health outcomes that strain regional health systems. Higher intake is linked to rising rates of overweight and obesity, which currently affect 67.5% of adults in the region, as well as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple forms of cancer, liver disease, and a range of other NCDs. For alcohol, harmful use is additionally connected to increased rates of preventable injuries and violence.

    Well-designed health taxes serve a dual public policy purpose: they discourage consumption of products proven to harm health, while generating stable public revenue that governments can allocate to underfunded health and social priorities. Targeted taxation also delivers long-term preventive benefits, such as delaying the onset of alcohol use among adolescents, cutting rates of dangerous heavy drinking, and reducing overall SSB intake that drives obesity and chronic illness.

    Despite these proven benefits, the reports outline critical structural flaws holding back policy effectiveness across most of the region. Many nations maintain artificially low tax rates, limit the scope of taxed products, or fail to update tax levels regularly to account for inflation—all of which erode the long-term impact of these measures. A key gap in coverage is the exclusion of less obvious sugary products, including sugar-sweetened dairy drinks and processed fruit juices, which pushes consumers to shift their purchases to these untaxed alternatives and blunts the public health impact of existing tax policies.

    That said, the reports do highlight small but meaningful progress from a handful of regional nations in recent years. Barbados and Colombia have rolled out new targeted taxes on unhealthy products, while Dominica has raised tax rates across tobacco, alcohol, and sugary beverages.

    “In many countries of the Americas, existing taxes have not been designed in line with international best practices and remain too low to meaningfully influence consumption patterns, reduce exposure to health risks, or generate the level of health and fiscal gains that effective health taxes can deliver,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases.

    To unlock both maximum health improvements and fiscal benefits, PAHO is calling on regional governments to strengthen their health tax frameworks through four key reforms: implementing intentional, well-structured tax design, setting tax rates at levels sufficient to change consumer behavior, expanding coverage to include all sugar-added products that pose health risks, and building in automatic regular adjustments to account for inflation. The organization also emphasizes the need for consistent policy enforcement, ongoing outcome monitoring, and evidence-based iterative reform to ensure taxes deliver on their core goal of reducing harmful consumption and improving population health.

    “PAHO is committed to providing technical support to Member States to strengthen the implementation of health taxes, an evidence-based measure that contributes to reducing risk factors and protecting population health,” Dr. Hennis concluded.

    The reports were presented in May during a public webinar hosted by PAHO in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, and they contribute to broader regional and global efforts to track how fiscal policy can be aligned to meet public health targets.

  • New less invasive treatments expand care options for women with endometriosis and fibroids

    New less invasive treatments expand care options for women with endometriosis and fibroids

    Two of the most widespread gynecological conditions impacting women worldwide, endometriosis and uterine fibroids, are seeing expanded, more patient-centered care options thanks to groundbreaking medical innovation that prioritizes fertility preservation and shorter recovery times, according to leading gynecological experts at Mayo Clinic Arizona.

    Megan Wasson, D.O., chair of gynecology at Mayo Clinic Arizona, notes that while the two conditions have distinct progression patterns and symptom profiles, they share key traits: both have genetic links, cannot be prevented with current medical knowledge, can interfere with fertility and quality of life, and are tied to menstrual cycle-related symptoms. As medical research advances, both have become central targets for improving patient outcomes.

    “They’re both relatively common. There can be some overlapping symptoms, but the majority of symptoms vary and the diseases progress differently. Fibroids and endometriosis can run in families. Neither condition is preventable,” Dr. Wasson explains.

    Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that develop in the uterine wall, ranging in size from tiny, undetectable nodules to large masses large enough to expand the pelvic and abdominal region, creating an appearance similar to pregnancy. While many patients remain asymptomatic and only receive a diagnosis during routine pelvic exams or imaging scans, others experience severe disruptive symptoms that upend daily life. These include abnormally heavy, prolonged or frequent menstrual periods, chronic pelvic, abdominal or lower back pain, increased urinary frequency, constipation, and discomfort during sexual intercourse.

    When fibroids grow large enough, they can be felt through the abdominal wall, and often cause enough abdominal bloating that patients struggle to fit into their regular clothing. “These are not just little inconveniences. These are very large, very significant masses and they can really impact quality of life,” Dr. Wasson says. “When fibroids become very enlarged, you can actually feel them through the abdominal wall. You can get to the point that your pants do not fit, you have significant abdominal bloating, and the fibroids are pushing on other organs such as the bladder, causing you to have to go to the bathroom all the time, among other symptoms. You can have constipation because the fibroids are pushing on the bowel and not allowing things to move.”

    Until recently, the standard default treatment for symptomatic fibroids was a hysterectomy — a full surgical removal of the uterus that permanently eliminates a patient’s ability to become pregnant. Today, that standard has shifted dramatically. Medical innovation has unlocked a range of new uterine-sparing alternatives that reduce surgical trauma and preserve fertility for patients who hope to have children in the future.

    Alongside pharmaceutical options that shrink fibroids to reduce symptoms, multiple nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures have become widely accessible. Uterine fibroid embolization, performed by interventional radiologists, blocks the blood supply feeding fibroids, causing the growths to shrink without open surgery, and most patients are able to return home the same day of the procedure. Other minimally invasive options include radiofrequency ablation, which uses targeted energy to destroy fibroid tissue, as well as robotic-assisted or laparoscopic myomectomy — a surgical procedure that removes fibroids while leaving the healthy uterus intact.

    For endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterine cavity, advances in treatment and diagnostic research are also driving improved outcomes. Common symptoms of endometriosis include severe pelvic cramping and pain during menstruation, heavy bleeding or spotting between periods, and discomfort during sex, bowel movements or urination. Like fibroids, endometriosis can be asymptomatic for some patients, who only receive a diagnosis after struggling with infertility or undergoing unrelated surgery. Unlike fibroids, which typically develop later in reproductive life, endometriosis usually emerges much earlier after the onset of menstruation, and it increases a patient’s long-term risk of ovarian cancer.

    Current standard treatments for endometriosis include medication or conservative surgery, which removes abnormal endometrial tissue while preserving the uterus and ovaries to protect fertility. Much like fibroid surgery, endometriosis procedures are increasingly performed as minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries, often with robotic assistance to improve precision, through only a small abdominal incision.

    Looking ahead, research into endometriosis is pushing even further: Dr. Wasson currently leads a Mayo Clinic research team developing a preventive vaccine for endometriosis, and the team is also working on new imaging techniques to simplify and speed up diagnosis. The research explores using a targeted contrast molecule that makes endometrial tissue visible on scans, eliminating the delays that often come with current diagnostic processes.

    To catch both conditions as early as possible, when treatment is most effective, Dr. Wasson encourages all girls and women to track their menstrual health from the first onset of periods. Any irregularity — from unusually heavy bleeding to abnormal cycle length, missed periods, or severe pain that disrupts daily life — warrants a conversation with a healthcare provider.

    “Your period should be no more than a minor inconvenience,” she says. “If you’re missing work, school and other activities, if you’re staying in bed because you’re having your period, that’s not normal. If there are any symptoms causing you to change anything in your life, that warrants a conversation with your healthcare professional. Don’t assume a change is normal or is just something you should deal with.”

    This report is based on a June 2026 press release from Mayo Clinic, originally published by SKNVibes.com.

  • Patients Can Now Request Some Hospital Appointments Online

    Patients Can Now Request Some Hospital Appointments Online

    The Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) has recently issued a public call encouraging all patients to shift to its new digital appointment request platform for both outpatient clinical visits and radiology services, marking a key step in modernizing the facility’s patient experience.

    Unlike traditional booking processes that require patients to travel to the medical center in person to reserve a time slot, the new online system removes this geographic and logistical barrier entirely. Patients can submit their appointment requests at any point that fits their schedule, as the platform operates around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This flexibility caters to working professionals, caregivers, and patients with mobility limitations who may struggle to visit the hospital during standard operating hours for non-urgent booking.

    After a patient submits an online request, the hospital’s administrative care team will review the submission and reach out directly to the patient to finalize and confirm all appointment details, including date, time, and any pre-appointment preparations patients need to complete ahead of their visit.

    Hospital administrators explained that the rollout of this digital booking tool is part of the facility’s broader effort to upgrade patient access to care. By moving routine appointment requests online, the center aims to cut down on on-site crowding, reduce wait times for in-person visitors, and streamline the entire care navigation process, ultimately making essential healthcare services more convenient and accessible for the communities it serves.