Carib Scope

分类： health

  • SLBMC Reports 1,074 Pediatric Emergency Visits So Far in 2026

    SLBMC Reports 1,074 Pediatric Emergency Visits So Far in 2026

    The main public medical facility of Antigua and Barbuda, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC), has released an updated operational figure highlighting the persistent high demand for specialized emergency care for children across the twin-island nation. As of the current point in 2026, the facility’s dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department has already provided urgent medical intervention to 1,074 children and adolescent patients, according to an official statement from the institution.

    This volume of patients underscores the critical ongoing need for accessible, high-quality pediatric emergency services in Antigua and Barbuda, as local healthcare providers work to manage a consistent stream of urgent cases involving young people. Beyond sharing the patient volume, SLBMC used the update to publicly recognize and commend the hard work of its specialized pediatric care team, highlighting the commitment that frontline staff bring to their roles every day.

    “Thank you to our Pediatric team for the care, compassion, and expertise they bring to every patient encounter,” the statement read. Hospital administrators note that the team has not only delivered consistent clinical care to young patients but also extended essential support to the family members of children receiving treatment, amid the steady flow of emergency cases that the department continues to manage.

  • Youth vaping now widespread, psychotherapist warns

    Youth vaping now widespread, psychotherapist warns

    Barbados is facing a rapidly growing public health challenge as underage vaping becomes increasingly normalized among secondary school students, a leading child and adolescent mental health specialist has warned. Nicolette Williams, a psychotherapist at substance abuse support organization Verdun House, outlined the scale of the crisis Tuesday on the sidelines of a grant event hosted by Ross University for local community charities. Drawing on four years of original research conducted in Barbadian secondary schools, Williams confirmed that teen vaping has moved from a hidden trend to a widespread, socially accepted behavior across the island, mirroring a global pattern of youth uptake. What makes vaping particularly attractive to young people, Williams explained, is the deliberate design and marketing of these products. Sweet and fruity flavor profiles, eye-catching colorful packaging, and targeted social media campaigns have been crafted to appeal directly to adolescent consumers, turning what is marketed as a ‘healthy alternative to smoking’ into a trendy must-have activity for teens. Most troubling of all, Williams said, is how easily underage students can access these products. Multiple participants in the research admitted that local retailers freely sell vapes to teens despite age restrictions, removing a key barrier to underage use. Her team’s work has brought them into contact with more than 2,000 students across six Barbadian secondary schools, including a high-risk cohort of young people already grappling with emotional disorders and substance misuse. Among this vulnerable group, nearly all reported regular vaping use. Contrary to the common misconception among teens that vaping is harmless or ‘cool’, Williams emphasized that the practice causes severe damage to multiple aspects of adolescent health and development. As a mood-altering substance, vaping directly disrupts emotional regulation, leaving many users prone to persistent anger, chronic demotivation, and unstable mental health. Physically, the habit has been linked to life-altering medical complications affecting critical organs, including the lungs, kidneys and heart. Beyond individual health impacts, the addiction also drives harmful behavioral changes: some teens develop patterns of dishonesty and even turn to theft to fund their vaping habit. To reverse this growing crisis, Williams is calling for a coordinated, multi-level national response that expands far beyond individual family interventions. She stressed that comprehensive education is the foundation of any effective solution, noting that awareness building must reach students, parents, guardians and school staff alike. To create meaningful, long-term change, Williams argues, public health action must be scaled up from local communities to the regional level, with sustained programming embedded in every secondary school across the country to curb youth vaping before it creates a generational public health burden.

  • Healthy Caribbean Coalition launches regional campaign to challenge junk food marketing in schools

    Healthy Caribbean Coalition launches regional campaign to challenge junk food marketing in schools

    Against a backdrop of soaring childhood obesity rates that outpace the global average, a new regional public health campaign has kicked off across 11 Caribbean territories, calling on local communities and governments to push back against the growing infiltration of unhealthy food and beverage brand marketing within school campuses. Titled “Make it Make Sense,” the initiative is led by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) in partnership with three local health and youth advocacy groups: the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB), the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), and the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN). Running from May 25 to July 16, 2026, the campaign is being amplified via HCC’s Facebook and Instagram channels, and organizers have opened a public petition for citizens to add their support for banning ultra-processed food (UPF) and beverage marketing from all educational institutions.

    This year’s campaign builds on a years-long series of regional advocacy efforts that have previously targeted the food and beverage industry’s undue influence over public health nutrition policymaking. Unlike earlier initiatives, however, the 2026 iteration narrows its focus to the school environment, shining a light on how seemingly benign corporate activities—from event sponsorships and branded educational programs to in-kind donations—gradually normalize unhealthy product consumption and shape children’s dietary preferences from a young age. Health experts behind the campaign emphasize that while many schools across the region face persistent budget gaps that make corporate support attractive, accepting funding and in-kind donations from UPF manufacturers comes at a steep long-term cost to public health.

    Caribbean nations currently face a public health crisis driven by overconsumption of UPF products, which are typically high in added sugar, sodium, and trans fats. Regional childhood obesity rates now surpass the global average, and public health researchers warn that early adoption of diets heavy in ultra-processed goods puts children at far higher risk of developing preventable noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and multiple forms of cancer earlier in adulthood. HCC President Senator Dr. Kenneth Connell stressed that marketing within schools is uniquely insidious, noting that the same persuasive advertising that influences adult purchasing decisions has an even more profound impact on children, who lack fully developed critical thinking skills to recognize corporate persuasion tactics.

    JYAN Executive Director Shannique Bowden went further, calling these targeted marketing practices predatory. Bowden explained that many UPF companies frame their school partnerships as acts of corporate social responsibility, positioning themselves as helpful community partners stepping in to fill resource gaps that underfunded public schools cannot cover. In reality, she argued, these practices exploit children’s inherent vulnerability to persuasive branding, violate core child rights principles, and directly exacerbate the region’s growing childhood obesity and NCD epidemics.

    HFJ Programme Manager Barbara McGaw acknowledged the real financial constraints many Caribbean schools operate under, but questioned whether accepting support from companies that profit from selling unhealthy products is an acceptable trade-off. McGaw pointed out that the region’s existing National School Nutrition Policy already includes formal recommendations to ban or restrict marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods in schools, including bans on sponsorships, grants, and donations from UPF brands. Despite these existing guidelines, HCC notes that enforcement and regulation of corporate marketing in schools remains extremely weak across most CARICOM member states, even as governments publicly commit to building healthier school environments.

    Crucially, campaign organizers stress that schools do not have to choose between unmet budget needs and protecting children’s health. HCC Communications Officer Sheena Warner-Edwards noted that ongoing tracking by the coalition has revealed a growing number of health-neutral and health-promoting businesses are stepping in to fill sponsorship gaps, ranging from large financial institutions like local banks and insurance companies to small, community-focused businesses such as local clothing boutiques and regional radio stations.

    HSFB Chief Executive Officer Greta Yearwood emphasized that the campaign’s focus on schools is particularly timely, given that children spend the majority of their waking hours in educational settings. “What children eat and drink impacts their health outcome as they grow and track into adulthood,” Yearwood said. “If we are serious about protecting children and reducing NCDs, then tactics which encourage the consumption of foods high in fats, sugars and salt, targeting children, cannot be permitted. We need to protect public health policies from interference from vested interests.”

    After decades of unregulated corporate presence in schools, campaign organizers note that unhealthy branding has become so normalized that it often goes unchallenged by parents, educators, and policymakers. Through “Make it Make Sense,” organizers aim to spark widespread public reflection, push for stronger enforcement of existing school nutrition policies, and build public support for new regulations that prioritize children’s long-term health over corporate marketing profits. Members of the public across all 11 participating territories can show their support by signing the campaign’s open online petition.

  • Chain of Hope celebrates three decades of life-saving cardiac care in Jamaica

    Chain of Hope celebrates three decades of life-saving cardiac care in Jamaica

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Three decades after launching its first international humanitarian programme in Jamaica, UK-based medical charity Chain of Hope is celebrating its legacy of transforming outcomes for children living with heart disease through a special anniversary surgical mission at Kingston’s Bustamante Hospital for Children, running from June 8 to 15.

    Heading up the volunteer medical team is renowned paediatric cardiac surgeon Professor Victor Tsang. The multidisciplinary group, made up of specialist surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthetists, intensive care clinicians, nurses and perfusionists, will carry out urgent open-heart procedures for between eight and 10 Jamaican children born with complex, life-threatening cardiac conditions.

    This 2026 mission carries unique historical weight: 30 years ago in 1996, Chain of Hope’s founder and president, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub OM FRS, selected Jamaica as the very first beneficiary country for the young charity’s work. What began as intermittent overseas medical outreach has since evolved into one of the most successful and long-standing international paediatric cardiac care partnerships in the world.

    Over 30 years of collaboration, Chain of Hope and its local and global partners have completed more than 70 medical missions to Jamaica. The programme has delivered direct care to hundreds of children living with both congenital and acquired heart disease, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a permanent, self-sustaining paediatric cardiac care programme based at Bustamante Hospital for Children.

    The partnership’s crowning achievement came with the launch of the island’s purpose-built Paediatric Cardiac Centre at Bustamante, opened in 2017. The facility, which houses a dedicated cardiac operating theatre, a specialised paediatric intensive care unit and a full cardiac catheterisation laboratory, was the first centre of its kind focused exclusively on children’s heart care across the entire English-speaking Caribbean.

    Creation of the landmark centre was made possible through a broad collaborative funding and delivery effort, bringing together Chain of Hope, telecommunications firm Digicel, the Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation, Gift of Life International, Rotary International, Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, the National Health Fund, and dozens of other generous donors and partner organisations.

    In the years since the centre opened, more than 405 life-saving cardiac procedures have been carried out for children through Chain of Hope-supported missions and partnerships, granting hundreds of children a new lease on life. Additional partner organisation Cardiac Kids has also run its own outreach missions out of the facility, extending care to even more young patients.

    “Jamaica has held a special place in my heart since the 1960s, so it felt only natural that it would become the first country where we launched an overseas programme after founding Chain of Hope in 1996,” Professor Yacoub explained. “From our very first mission, our goal was straightforward: to make sure that every child born with heart disease could access the life-saving treatment they need to thrive.”

    The Jamaica programme also occupies a unique place in the charity’s history due to its early connection to Diana, Princess of Wales, one of Chain of Hope’s first royal patrons. In 1998, Princess Diana planned to travel to Jamaica alongside Professor Yacoub to meet young patients awaiting urgent surgery, just months before her untimely passing. Her public commitment to the cause drew global attention to the gap in access to paediatric cardiac care for children in low- and middle-income countries.

    Professor Tsang, who also leads the children’s cardiac programme at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, noted that the 30th anniversary mission carries extra meaning for the team. “Every trip to Jamaica is special, but this anniversary mission is truly meaningful like no other. We have watched extraordinary progress unfold over the past 30 years. The greatest legacy of this entire programme is not just the hundreds of surgeries we have completed — it is the local expertise, clinical confidence and long-term capability we have built up within Jamaica’s own cardiac care team.”

    Beyond direct surgical intervention, one of the programme’s most transformative and lasting impacts has been its investment in local education and workforce development. Chain of Hope leaders recognised early on that sustainable local cardiac care depends on a skilled, specialised workforce, particularly in nursing. To address this, the charity partnered with Bustamante’s cardiac team to grow Jamaica’s specialist cardiac nursing workforce.

    Working in collaboration with the University of Technology, Jamaica, Chain of Hope helped develop the nation’s first accredited dedicated cardiac nursing training programme. The 13-week credentialed module blends in-person and remote instruction, hands-on practical training, and clinical rotations for critical care nursing students, boosting the country’s pool of specialist cardiac nursing skills and addressing a long-standing national workforce gap in this highly specialised care area.

    Emma Scanlan, Chief Executive Officer of Chain of Hope, said of the milestone: “It has been an enormous privilege for our entire organisation to serve children and their families across Jamaica for more than 30 years. Our volunteer teams have travelled thousands of miles, working side by side with our local and global partners, all united by one simple purpose: to make sure every child born with heart disease can access the specialist care they need to survive and thrive.”

    As the charity marks three decades of work in Jamaica, it remains fully committed to supporting the continued growth and long-term sustainability of the national paediatric cardiac programme through ongoing specialist training, clinical mentoring, equipment investment, and regular medical missions. Working alongside its broad network of partners, Chain of Hope continues working toward its core vision: a future where every child born with heart disease can access the care they need, no matter where in the world they are born.

  • Mental health and the suicide crisis

    Mental health and the suicide crisis

    Against the backdrop of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a devastating tragedy has unfolded in the small Caribbean nation of Grenada: three local men died by suicide within a single seven-day window. Unlike accidental deaths or deaths from chronic illnesses that communities spend decades mobilizing to fight, these deaths came after each man reached a breaking point, where the emotional and psychological weight they carried became too much to bear, and they made a final, irreversible choice to end their suffering.

    This painful event comes at a time when global conversations around mental health have never been more common — yet this very familiarity has ironically drained much of the urgency from the issue, particularly across Grenada and the broader Caribbean. Here, a sharp gap persists between mainstream discourse about mental wellness and the on-the-ground reality for people struggling with their psychological well-being.

    Many in the region still misframe mental health as an abstract, niche branch of medicine, disconnected from daily life. In truth, mental health shapes every moment of human experience: it colors our everyday moods, anchors our sense of safety, and quietly signals whether we are thriving or falling apart. It is the invisible canvas on which every life is painted, moment by moment, day by day. Precisely because it operates out of sight, it is rarely valued until it is lost beyond recovery. For far too many men across Grenada, this breaking point arrives far sooner than anyone expects.

    For generations, cultural norms across much of the world — and particularly in Grenada — have socialized boys from childhood to embody a rigid version of strength: do not cry, do not show weakness, provide for your family, protect others, and never lose composure. Under these unwritten rules, emotion is framed as a liability, and vulnerability is seen as proof of weakness. From a young age, boys learn to bury their unhappiness, their fear, and their exhaustion deep beneath a confident, unshakable public facade. Over time, that mask becomes the person the world knows — and eventually, the person even the man himself believes he is.

    By the time a man realizes he is drowning in psychological distress, he has spent decades performing unbroken composure. He has no language to name his pain, has never given himself permission to admit he needs help, and often has no idea where to turn for support. Even if he can bring himself to consider therapy, questions pile up rapidly: Where would I find a provider? Can I afford this? What will my friends and family say if I seek help? Isn’t this kind of care for women and children, not men? These doubts pile up, folding the growing crisis into a cycle of unspoken, unaddressed despair that festers until it reaches a catastrophic breaking point. Three deaths in one week is what that catastrophic outcome looks like.

    Global data underscores the scope of this crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds worldwide, with men dying by suicide at nearly double the rate of women. In Grenada, the roots of this disparity grow from two overlapping failures: a deep-seated cultural norm that teaches men they need no help, and a grossly under-resourced support system that offers almost no help when men finally work up the courage to ask.

    Currently, Grenada has no dedicated national suicide prevention hotline. Public concern about suicide rarely lasts longer than the 24-hour news cycle. Trained mental health therapists are expensive, scarce, and notoriously difficult to book an appointment with. Psychiatric services are concentrated in limited central locations, overstretched, and surrounded by deep social stigma. Whether a man is just beginning to struggle or has already recognized his need for support, he hits the same insurmountable wall: systemic barriers to care, and a cultural script that tells him seeking help is shameful.

    This is not a failure of individual men. It is a failure of the systems designed to serve communities, and a failure of Grenadian society as a whole. It is a shared failure that touches every person who makes up the nation of Grenada.

    That said, systems are built by people, which means they can be changed by people. There are small signs of progress: recently, Grenada Broadcasting Network announced that the national government plans to launch a long-awaited national suicide hotline by the end of June. This is a welcome step in the right direction, one that deserves public recognition. But a policy announcement is not a working lifeline. The three men who lost their lives this week could not wait for the launch date. A promise only becomes a lifeline when it is a working phone number, staffed by trained, compassionate providers ready to answer calls. Until that promise is fulfilled, the gap in care remains — and three suicides in one week is a brutal reminder of how urgent that gap is.

    Beyond systemic change, there are small, critical actions every person can take right now. When was the last time you asked the men in your life how they are really doing? Not the passing, reflexive question we exchange as we walk past each other, not the polite exchange that ends with a automatic “fine, thanks” before we move on. When was the last time you sat down with your brother, your father, your friend, and asked them honestly, earnestly, how they are actually holding up? And when they give the expected answer “I’m okay,” when do you push past that politely and let them know it is safe to say otherwise? It is safe to be vulnerable, it is safe to need help.

    Suicidal despair is not strength. It has never been strength. We need our men here, alive and present with us, so we can work through struggles together. Death may feel like the only escape from unending pain, but a better future is possible — a future where men can access the help they need long before they reach an irreversible breaking point. We can no longer afford to keep burying our men in a silence that we have the power to break.

  • Minister Michael Joseph Congratulates Dr. Vonetta George on International Recognition

    Minister Michael Joseph Congratulates Dr. Vonetta George on International Recognition

    A groundbreaking milestone for Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare sector has put one of the nation’s leading medical professionals in the international spotlight. Dr. Vonetta George, Chief of Surgery at the country’s flagship Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 Global Doctor, Innovation and Leadership Award, an honor bestowed annually by the Caribbean Global Awards.

    This nomination places Dr. George among an elite cohort of distinguished healthcare practitioners from across the Caribbean and around the globe, all recognized for their outstanding contributions to clinical excellence, groundbreaking innovation, and transformative leadership in medicine. Decades of relentless commitment to advancing surgical care, prioritizing patient-centered treatment, and upholding the highest clinical standards across Antigua and Barbuda have earned her this international acclaim.

    The Honourable Michael Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, issued a public statement celebrating Dr. George’s achievement, framing it as a point of national pride. “Dr. Vonetta George’s selection as a finalist for this prestigious international award is a tremendous accomplishment that speaks volumes about her unwavering dedication to healthcare excellence,” Joseph said. “As Chief of Surgery at our nation’s top medical facility, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, rigorous professionalism, and a deep commitment to improving the lives of hundreds of patients across the country. On behalf of the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, I extend our warmest congratulations and wish her the very best ahead of the awards ceremony.”

    Beyond her clinical work, the Ministry highlighted Dr. George’s far-reaching impact on Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare ecosystem, noting her critical role in strengthening the national public health system and serving as a role model for emerging young medical professionals across the country. Her nomination also shines a light on the high caliber of medical talent currently serving the nation, and reinforces the critical, high-quality work carried out daily by teams at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.

    The winner of the 2026 Global Doctor, Innovation and Leadership Award will be revealed at the Caribbean Global Awards Gala, scheduled to take place on September 26, 2026, in London, United Kingdom. The Ministry of Health has joined the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre staff, local medical communities, and the general public of Antigua and Barbuda in celebrating Dr. George’s landmark achievement, and offering well wishes for her continued success in all her future professional work.

  • Air Quality Remains Good as Minimal Saharan Dust Affects Antigua and Barbuda

    Air Quality Remains Good as Minimal Saharan Dust Affects Antigua and Barbuda

    The twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that its national air quality still ranks in the “good” range, even as trace amounts of Saharan dust drift into the region. In an official advisory bulletin released Sunday evening, the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service reported that the country’s current Air Quality Index (AQI) sits between 30 and 50, a range that falls firmly within good air quality standards. Meteorologists project this stable, healthy condition will persist through at least Wednesday. According to the bulletin, concentrations of harmful particulate matter, including both the smaller PM2.5 and larger PM10 particles that commonly drive air quality concerns, are currently registering at low levels. As a result, no special protective measures or public health interventions are required at this time. The advisory has been issued at Alert Level I, the lowest risk tier in the country’s standardized air quality monitoring framework. While vulnerable populations—including individuals living with chronic respiratory or heart conditions, older adults, and young children—are typically the most at risk for negative health outcomes from poor air quality, the bulletin confirms that the current low dust concentrations do not pose any detectable health risks to these groups. To keep the public informed as conditions evolve, the Meteorological Service is encouraging all residents and visitors to regularly check for updated forecasts and official announcements via its official social media channels, website, and other public communication platforms. Saharan dust plumes are a recurring seasonal phenomenon that impacts countries across the Caribbean, often leading to temporary declines in air quality during peak transport periods. This update reassures the public that the current intrusion of dust has not reached levels that would threaten community health.

  • Foreign Minister Fonseca Recovering Well After Heart Surgery

    Foreign Minister Fonseca Recovering Well After Heart Surgery

    More than one month following a successful heart procedure at Belize’s leading public medical facility, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, top government official Francis Fonseca is making steady, encouraging progress in his recovery, according to close colleagues and the minister himself. As the nation’s foreign minister, who also holds cabinet portfolios for foreign trade, education, culture, and information technology, Fonseca has been out of office during his post-surgery recuperation, leaving colleagues across the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the broader cabinet eager for his return.

    Oscar Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, confirmed in an interview with local media that he has maintained consistent private communication with Fonseca throughout his recovery period. Arnold shared that the minister has repeatedly expressed that his recuperation is proceeding exactly as his medical team planned, and that he is eager to step back into his official responsibilities.

    Arnold, however, noted that the ministry is prioritizing Fonseca’s long-term health over an immediate return to work, even pushing back gently on the minister’s desire to restart his duties sooner rather than later. “He says that he will try to gradually slip into certain things,” Arnold explained, acknowledging the massive scope of the multiple cabinet portfolios Fonseca oversees. “We do miss him but we want to ensure that the paramount importance is his health.”

    Any decision about a formal return to full duties will be a discussion between Fonseca and Prime Minister Briceno, Arnold added, noting that every member of the cabinet has missed the foreign minister’s contributions during his leave. To avoid adding unnecessary stress to Fonseca’s recovery, Arnold said he intentionally limits work updates to brief bulletins, allowing the minister to focus fully on healing.

    When contacted directly by local outlet News Five on June 8, 2026, Fonseca independently confirmed that his recovery continues to go well, and shared that he hopes to resume his official responsibilities in the very near future.

  • Saint Lucia updates Ebola preparedness plan as Caribbean strengthens border screening

    Saint Lucia updates Ebola preparedness plan as Caribbean strengthens border screening

    In response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak that has spread across parts of Africa and been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization, the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia has ramped up its proactive preparedness and surveillance measures to prevent a potential imported case. The country’s Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition outlined the expanded national response framework in an official statement released on Monday.

    At the regional level, coordinated action led by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), in partnership with CARICOM IMPACS, has reactivated an advanced traveler screening protocol across Caribbean ports of entry. Leveraging the existing Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), the program automatically flags any passengers who have departed from or transited through regions currently experiencing active Ebola transmission. Regional health authorities note that this risk-based screening strategy is crafted to prioritize early detection of any potential travel-linked Ebola cases, while keeping unnecessary disruptions to cross-border travel and commercial trade to a minimum.

    Alongside regional screening efforts, Saint Lucia is moving forward with targeted national updates to its emergency response infrastructure. National health officials are currently conducting a full review and revision of the country’s national Ebola response plan in close collaboration with local hospitals, private healthcare providers, and other key public health stakeholders. A comprehensive nationwide needs assessment is also underway, with results set to guide future equipment procurement and resource allocation should an emergency response be required.

    Capacity building for frontline personnel has already been rolled out across multiple sectors. Training and public sensitization sessions have been completed for healthcare workers, as well as representatives from the education, tourism, and business industries, all of which play critical roles in detecting and containing potential imported infections. Additional targeted interventions are also being implemented at airports, seaports, and other entry points to strengthen protocols for identifying, reporting, and managing travelers who may have been exposed to Ebola or have visited affected African countries within the 21-day Ebola incubation period.

    A major expansion of regional testing capacity has also been achieved, eliminating the need to send suspected samples thousands of miles for confirmation. CARPHA’s Regional Referral Laboratory now has full capability to process Ebola virus tests, and the agency has already established coordinated logistics networks to transport suspected specimens from member states to the regional facility for rapid testing.

    The current Ebola outbreak is concentrated primarily in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) classifying 11 additional neighboring countries as high-risk for spillover transmission: South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, and Burundi.

    While CARPHA’s ongoing risk assessment still categorizes the overall threat of an Ebola outbreak in the Caribbean as low, regional health leaders have emphasized that the possibility of a travel-related importation cannot be ignored. The Caribbean region maintains extensive air and sea travel connections with Africa and other global regions, creating a persistent pathway for imported cases.

    Saint Lucia’s health ministry says the country will continue its close collaboration with regional public health agencies on prevention planning, early detection protocols, and response coordination. The government is also developing a dedicated public communication strategy to provide Saint Lucia’s residents with accurate, up-to-date information about Ebola, clear guidance on how to recognize early symptoms, and steps to seek prompt medical care if exposure is suspected. Officials added that they will continue monitoring the evolving outbreak situation closely and will release new public updates as conditions change.

  • QEH begins newborn screening

    QEH begins newborn screening

    Barbados has launched a landmark comprehensive newborn screening initiative at its main public healthcare facility, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), marking a historic first for the Caribbean region in preventive pediatric healthcare. Launched officially on May 18, the program offers free routine screening to every infant born at QEH via a quick, low-invasive heel-prick blood test, collected between 24 and 48 hours after delivery.

    Funded through a grant from the Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence and supported by QEH’s senior leadership, the initiative will begin with an 18-month to two-year pilot phase, during which medical teams expect to screen approximately 5,000 newborns. Dr. Gillian Birchwood, head of pediatrics at QEH, detailed the program — formally named the Comprehensive Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Newborn Screening Programme — in a public statement posted to the hospital’s official website, calling it a transformative leap forward for child health on the island.

    “We are thrilled to have launched this groundbreaking collaborative effort between the Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which will let us deliver comprehensive screening to every baby born at our facility over the coming years,” Birchwood stated. She emphasized that routine newborn screening has long been recognized as one of the most impactful public health innovations of the past century, a tool that lets clinicians detect life-altering conditions long before any visible symptoms emerge, vastly improving patient outcomes.

    “This pilot program fills a critical gap in our local care continuum,” Birchwood explained. “By testing newborns early, we can identify conditions that would cause harm later in childhood, and intervene before symptoms develop or permanent damage occurs from delayed detection.” Early diagnosis, she noted, can avert a wide range of adverse outcomes, from developmental delays and permanent hearing loss to acute, life-threatening conditions that are undetectable through routine post-birth physical checks.

    What makes this program particularly notable, Birchwood added, is its status as a first-of-its-kind initiative across the entire Caribbean region. “This is truly groundbreaking for the Caribbean. No other country in the region has a comprehensive nationwide newborn screening program of this scope, and Barbados is incredibly fortunate to launch it here,” she said. The program cements QEH’s position as a regional leader in newborn and pediatric care, she noted, with outcomes that will extend far beyond Barbados’ borders.

    “This initiative positions Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a pioneer in regional newborn health and advanced pediatric care,” Birchwood explained. “We can now protect children from devastating, avoidable complications of conditions that are invisible at the time of birth.”

    The Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence, which made the program possible through its funding support, was launched in 2020 as a strategic partnership between the Government of Barbados and the Centre for Global Child Health at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Canada’s preeminent pediatric teaching and research hospital. The center’s core mission is to drive measurable improvements in child health outcomes across Barbados and the broader Eastern Caribbean region.

    Regional health officials share the expectation that the new screening program will cement Barbados’ reputation as a leader in preventive child health services across the Caribbean, offering a model that other nations in the region can adapt to improve their own pediatric care systems.