Carib Scope

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  • New Glanvilles Ambulance Features Built-In Oxygen System, Health Minister Says

    New Glanvilles Ambulance Features Built-In Oxygen System, Health Minister Says

    In a landmark upgrade to pre-hospital emergency medical services across Antigua and Barbuda, the nation’s first ambulance fitted with a permanent built-in oxygen system has been officially commissioned and deployed to Glanvilles Polyclinic, according to Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph.

    Speaking at the formal handover ceremony for the new vehicle, Joseph emphasized that the introduction of this specialized ambulance represents a transformative leap forward in the country’s emergency care infrastructure. He repeatedly stressed the milestone, noting it is the first public ambulance in the nation to include the integrated oxygen feature that will dramatically improve on-site and in-transit care for critical patients.

    Beyond its innovative oxygen system, the new ambulance is designed to accommodate a wider range of cutting-edge medical equipment. A key addition is a connected heart monitor that can transmit real-time patient vital data to receiving hospital clinical teams before the ambulance even arrives at the facility. This advance allows emergency department physicians to prepare fully for a patient’s arrival, eliminating critical delays in initiating targeted treatment and streamlining the entire emergency response chain, Joseph explained.

    The decision to station the new ambulance at Glanvilles Polyclinic addresses a longstanding gap in healthcare access for communities along the nation’s Eastern Corridor. For years, emergency calls in this region required ambulances to travel all the way from the capital city of St. John’s, resulting in dangerous, unacceptable delays that put local residents at disproportionate risk during life-threatening emergencies. With the dedicated ambulance now based locally, Joseph projected that response times will fall sharply, a change that can mean the difference between life and death for patients in crisis. “Every minute counts. Every second counts when you’re responding to an emergency,” he noted.

    Joseph credited Prime Minister Gaston Browne for prioritizing the investment by allocating the necessary funding to acquire the ambulance, even in the lead-up to a national election. He emphasized that the Ministry of Health has not paused its core work to expand and improve healthcare access, framing the deployment as a reflection of the government’s commitment to closing long-standing gaps in underserved communities. “To delay is to leave the people of these parts at greater risk,” he said, adding that the deployment is just the first step in a broader national initiative to modernize and expand emergency medical services across the entire country, starting with areas that have historically been underserved.

    The new deployment also comes alongside an upcoming operational restructuring at the Glanvilles facility that will further improve services. Services that have temporarily been hosted at Glanvilles are set to transition back to the All Saints medical facility, a shift that is almost complete. Once the transition is finalized, the Glanvilles Polyclinic will gain significant additional space, which will improve working conditions for clinical staff and expand capacity to serve patients more effectively.

    Following the formal handover ceremony, the ambulance entered immediate active service, bringing faster, more advanced emergency care to residents of Glanvilles, Willikies, and all surrounding communities across the Eastern Corridor.

  • Nurses stepping up action over wages, says Stuart

    Nurses stepping up action over wages, says Stuart

    Nurses across Trinidad and Tobago have entered a new stage of industrial action this week, rolling out a regulated one nurse-to-six-patients staffing ratio as pressure builds on the newly elected one-year-old government to resolve long-stalled wage negotiations. This announcement came directly from Idi Stuart, president of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA), during a live interview on i95.5 FM on Monday, April 28.

    Stuart explained that the industrial action strategy has been rolled out in three planned phases, with this week’s implementation of the standardized staffing ratio marking the second stage of pushback. The first phase, which drew thousands of participating nurses and other healthcare workers, saw a mass public protest march through the streets of Port of Spain in recent weeks. If the government continues to refuse to meet with the association to address nursing demands, Stuart confirmed a third phase – another large-scale mass protest – will be activated.

    “After the government declined our repeated requests for negotiations, our executive held a special general meeting and approved three key actions,” Stuart told reporters. “The first, effective April 28, is the rollout of total patient-centered nursing care aligned with international best practice, and that means sticking to this one-to-six staffing ratio. We’re calling it our anniversary gift to the Minister of Health.”

    Contrary to framing the action as a disruption to care, Stuart emphasized that the new staffing model is designed to improve the quality of care that patients receive. For years, he noted, nurses have been forced to take on far higher patient loads than international guidelines recommend, working extensive unpaid and unplanned overtime just to keep facilities operational. This overextension has come at a severe cost: nurses’ physical and mental health has declined, while the quality of care has been compromised.

    “To deliver care that is safe, efficient, patient-centered and effective, we have to work within our professional job specifications, the same standards that are recognized globally,” Stuart explained. “If we keep pushing ourselves beyond those limits like we have for years, patients end up suffering. Now, every patient will get the high-quality, focused care they deserve.”

    Stuart added that the new work rule will remain in place indefinitely, allowing nurses to step back from the unsustainable overwork that has become the norm across the public health system. “Nurses have harmed their own health overworking to keep these facilities running, but our sacrifice has been appreciated neither by patients who deal with overstretched care nor by the politicians who run the system,” he said.

    The dispute also centers on specific controversies at the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), where chairman Dr. Tim Gopeesingh has touted cuts to overtime pay as a major cost-saving measure. Stuart pushed back on that claim, arguing that NCRHA facilities simply cannot function without nurses working scheduled overtime, given the chronic severe understaffing that plagues the system.

    NCRHA nurses have been organizing around a slate of grievances beyond wage negotiations, including a freeze on payments for completed extra pool duties, an ongoing audit of what Gopeesingh has called an “overtime racket” – a claim the TTNNA vehemently denies – persistent staff shortages, poor hospital working conditions, and the fact that many nurses are still being paid on 2013 salary scales despite years of inflation and increased workload.

    As of Monday, multiple media attempts to reach Health Minister Lackram Bodoe and Dr. Gopeesingh for comment on the new staffing ratio protest were unsuccessful, with no response to calls or inquiries by press time.

  • TDC Home and Building Depot (Nevis) partners with Eyes First to offer Free Eye Screening Sessions

    TDC Home and Building Depot (Nevis) partners with Eyes First to offer Free Eye Screening Sessions

    In a targeted expansion of its ongoing community outreach commitments, TDC Home and Building Depot (Nevis) has partnered with local optometry provider Eyes First to deliver a day of no-cost eye health screenings that have already benefited more than 50 Nevis residents. Held on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the retailer’s Pinney’s Industrial Estate location, the event welcomed participants of all ages, including TDC’s own in-store staff, giving attendees access to professional vision testing, early screening for prevalent eye conditions, and personalized guidance on sustaining long-term eye health.

    The screenings were led by a team of fully certified, professionally trained optometry specialists from Eyes First. Beyond basic vision checks, the event prioritized public education on the critical role of early detection in preventing vision loss and managing chronic eye conditions, filling a gap in accessible preventive care for local residents.

    Colin Freeman, store manager at TDC Home and Building Depot (Nevis), highlighted that the initiative aligns with the company’s core mission to improve community quality of life beyond its core retail operations. “We are thrilled to partner with Eyes First to bring affordable, accessible eye care directly to the people of Nevis,” Freeman explained. “This project takes our work beyond the four walls of our store. Good vision is foundational to every part of daily life, so we wanted to give our patrons more than just building and home goods—we wanted to connect them to services that support long-term, healthy lifestyles.”

    Sharleen Pariall, office manager at Eyes First, echoed Freeman’s remarks, noting that many common sight-threatening eye conditions have no obvious early symptoms, making routine screening a critical public health priority. “By working together, we reinforced just how impactful regular eye exams are for long-term vision health,” Pariall said. “When eye conditions are caught early, they are far easier to manage effectively. This event gave TDC’s loyal customers and members of the general public a low-barrier chance to prioritize their eye health.”

    This screening marks the second iteration of the partnership’s community eye health initiative. The first event was held in February 2026 at TDC’s St. Kitts branch, as a core component of the brand’s annual company-wide Health and Wellness campaign, held this year under the overarching theme “The Heart of Every Home” with the secondary focus “Healthy Heart Happy Home.” Organizers have indicated that future screenings across other TDC locations in the region are under consideration, as the brand continues to expand its preventive health outreach to local communities.

  • FLASH : Malaria outbreak alarmingly resurgence in Haiti

    FLASH : Malaria outbreak alarmingly resurgence in Haiti

    A dangerous resurgence of malaria has been detected in Haiti, prompting urgent coordinated action from national public health leaders and international development partners to curb the spread of the preventable, life-threatening disease.

    Malaria, a parasitic infection spread to humans through bites from female Anopheles mosquitoes carrying the Plasmodium parasite, poses a particularly grave threat to vulnerable groups including young children and pregnant women. Without prompt, appropriate treatment, the infection can progress to severe neuro-malaria, which carries a high risk of fatal outcomes.

    Though full 2025 official statistics are still being compiled by global health authorities, trend data already confirms the severity of the outbreak. Haitian public health officials first raised the alarm in April 2025 after tracking a sharp upward spike in confirmed cases over the preceding 12 months. Official records show caseloads have more than doubled in just two years: jumping from 14,436 confirmed infections in 2023 to 38,591 recorded cases in 2024. Nearly all documented infections – 99 percent of the national total – are concentrated in four southern Haitian departments: Grand’Anse accounts for 54.3 percent of cases, followed by Sud at 33.8 percent, Nippes at 8.5 percent, and Sud-Est at 2.1 percent. Full-year 2026 data will be finalized and released jointly by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) and the World Health Organization in the coming months.

    This 2025 anti-malaria campaign has faced significant setbacks, as worsening nationwide insecurity and large-scale population displacement have severely disrupted intervention efforts. Even amid these obstacles, the national Malaria Elimination Action Plan remains in motion, with a core focus on expanding community-led screening to cut transmission rates dramatically.

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered closely with MSPP to scale up the country’s national response, rolling out evidence-based prevention measures to slow the outbreak. Mass Distribution Campaigns (MDCs) for insecticide-treated bed nets – one of the most effective tools for preventing mosquito bites and new infections – have been a central pillar of the intervention. On the ground, outreach teams, the majority of whom are local women, have worked under extreme challenging conditions to deliver bed nets to at-risk communities. Many households are inaccessible by motorized vehicles, forcing teams to travel on foot or use non-traditional transport to reach the most vulnerable populations, demonstrating extraordinary commitment to the campaign’s goals.

    Working alongside a network of partner organizations, UNDP and MSPP share a long-term mission: to reduce malaria’s public health and socioeconomic impact across Haiti sustainably, while strengthening community-level resilience to future public health threats.

  • Consumers advised to return contaminated Pan Caribbean sugar to point of sale

    Consumers advised to return contaminated Pan Caribbean sugar to point of sale

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s top consumer protection regulator has issued a public alert asking all customers who purchased packaged sugar from Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company Limited to return affected products to their original point of purchase for full compensation, following a formal product recall announcement from the manufacturer.

    The recall, initiated by Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company Limited, targets specific batches of packaged brown sugar produced across a two-week window in early 2026. Affected products come in three common retail sizes: 0.5-kilogram, 1.0-kilogram, and 2.0-kilogram packs, with manufacturing dates ranging from March 30 to April 12, 2026. To help customers identify at-risk products, the company has published a clear list of affected batch codes, spanning 01-2026 to 01-2028, 02-2026 to 02-2028, and 03-2026 to 03-2028.

    In an official statement released Wednesday, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) clarified that under Jamaica’s Consumer Protection Act, shoppers are legally entitled to remedies when purchased goods are defective, unfit for their intended use, or do not align with the description provided at the time of sale. Depending on the specific circumstances of the purchase and the nature of the product defect, eligible remedies range from repair and replacement to full cash refunds.

    Citing unresolved health and safety hazards linked to the affected sugar batches, the CAC issued a strong warning for consumers to stop using the product immediately and complete the return process as quickly as possible. For consumers who have already consumed the recalled sugar and experienced adverse health effects, the agency advises seeking prompt medical care and retaining all medical documentation to support any future compensation claims.

    The CAC also reminded retail sellers and distributors of their legal obligation to uphold consumer rights, requiring them to respond to recall-related complaints quickly and fairly. Shoppers who encounter difficulties securing appropriate redress from the point of purchase are encouraged to reach out directly to the CAC for intervention and support.

    Customers can access additional information about the recall or file a formal complaint through multiple channels: by calling the CAC’s hotline at 876-619-4222, submitting a request through the regulator’s official website at cac.gov.jm, or sending an inquiry to the commission’s dedicated email address at info@cac.gov.jm.

  • SLBMC Launches ‘Project Bloom’ to Promote Early Prenatal Care Across Antigua and Barbuda

    SLBMC Launches ‘Project Bloom’ to Promote Early Prenatal Care Across Antigua and Barbuda

    Antigua & Barbuda’s leading public healthcare facility, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC), has formally introduced Project Bloom, an ambitious public education and community outreach campaign designed to shift maternal health outcomes across the twin-island nation. The initiative targets a growing public health challenge: a persistently high rate of pregnant women who delay routine prenatal care until late in their pregnancy, or forego professional care entirely until they enter labor.

    Project Bloom was developed to counter this trend through accessible, stigma-free messaging and actionable guidance that empowers expectant mothers to prioritize care from the earliest stages of pregnancy. At its core, the campaign centers on three straightforward, life-affirming principles: begin prenatal monitoring as soon as possible, leverage local community clinics and primary care providers for routine check-ups, and transition to hospital-based care for high-risk pregnancies and labor. A key, inclusive pillar of the campaign stresses that it is never too late to seek care, working to dismantle the shame that often keeps women from seeking support at any point during their pregnancy.

    Dr. Raymond Mansoor, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at SLBMC, emphasized the transformative impact of early intervention in maternal health. “Early prenatal care is one of the most powerful protective tools we have to safeguard the well-being of both parent and child,” Mansoor explained. “We regularly treat patients who come to us late with preventable, manageable conditions such as gestational hypertension and syphilis—complications that can be mitigated or avoided entirely if caught early. Through Project Bloom, our goal is to help every expectant mother understand that early care lets us act early, laying the groundwork for safer pregnancies and healthier long-term outcomes.”

    Beyond clinical guidance, the campaign recognizes that access to consistent care depends on more than just service availability. Many pregnant women face unaddressed social, emotional and financial barriers that prevent them from seeking care early, and Project Bloom was designed to meet those needs with holistic, patient-centered support.

    Ann-Marie Browne-Isaac, SLBMC’s Departmental Nurse Manager for Maternity and the facility’s antenatal outpatient clinic, highlighted the on-the-ground difference early care makes for local families. “We see every single day how early intervention changes outcomes for mothers and babies,” Browne-Isaac said. “Our message is clear: start care early with your local community clinic or primary care provider. Most families come to this journey excited and hopeful, and our job is to help keep that positive experience going. Early care lets us monitor for risks, address concerns quickly, and support safer pregnancies, smoother deliveries, and the best possible outcomes for every family.”

    Chanier Moore, a social worker on SLBMC’s maternal health team, added that the campaign aims to wrap around women facing non-medical barriers to care. “A lot of the time, the hurdles aren’t clinical—they’re emotional stress, financial strain, or just not knowing how to navigate the healthcare system to get the care you need,” Moore noted. “We want every pregnant woman to know they don’t have to go through this alone. There is tailored support available, and even that first small step to reach out can make a world of difference for you and your baby.”

    By merging evidence-based health education, targeted community outreach, and compassionate, patient-first messaging, Project Bloom seeks to drive meaningful increases in early prenatal care engagement, reduce preventable maternal and infant complications, and ensure that more families across Antigua & Barbuda get the life-saving care they need when it matters most.

    SLBMC is urging all expectant mothers and their support systems to reach out to local community clinics or their regular healthcare provider to begin prenatal care as early as possible. For additional information about Project Bloom, available antenatal services, or upcoming maternal health education classes, interested parties can contact the SLBMC Outpatient Clinic at 484-2727.

  • Vaccination push ramps up into communities as rates dip

    Vaccination push ramps up into communities as rates dip

    Against the backdrop of lingering post-COVID-19 disruptions to routine public health programming, Barbados’ national health authorities have launched an intensified national immunization campaign, bringing critical vaccination services directly into local communities through a schedule of targeted polyclinic open days. The push comes amid official warnings that current vaccination coverage remains far below the threshold required to block outbreaks of dangerous, vaccine-preventable diseases.

    Barbados Minister of Health Lisa Cummins recently shared key data confirming that national inoculation rates have not yet rebounded to the pre-pandemic benchmarks that once kept the island’s population protected. “Coverage for the first dose of measles, mumps, and rubella increased to 89 per cent, and the second dose rose to 86 per cent. That is meaningful progress, but we have to be able to reach that threshold of 95 per cent coverage to secure herd immunity,” Cummins explained.

    This expanded immunization initiative is a core component of the 24th annual Vaccination Week in the Americas, a regional public health campaign that runs from April 25 to May 2 under the unifying theme “Your Decision Makes a Difference. Immunisation for All”. On Monday, local health officials and international public health partners convened a special community-focused open day at the Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic, centered on expanding prevention outreach, improving public health education, and removing barriers to vaccine access.

    Addressing one of the biggest barriers to progress – widespread vaccine hesitancy fueled by rampant online misinformation – Cummins noted that the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique public health challenge: virtually anyone with a smartphone could now position themselves as a self-styled medical expert, spreading unvetted, misleading claims that have eroded public confidence in routine vaccination across local communities.

    Cummins also emphasized that the risk of falling short of the 95% coverage target is not hypothetical. “These vaccines are protecting us from diseases that are one single flight away from our shores. If we don’t reach the 95 per cent threshold, then our communities are at real risk of a large-scale outbreak,” she warned.

    While the minister highlighted Barbados’ long, successful history of robust immunization programming that has protected generations of island residents – including the elimination of polio through sustained, coordinated public health efforts – she cautioned against complacency in the post-pandemic era. “Vaccines have always been and remain to this day the most effective tool we have to protect our communities. When enough of us are protected, we create what we call herd immunity. It is a collective shield that protects every member of our society, including those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons,” Cummins said.

    To reassure the public about the safety of nationally administered vaccines, Cummins added that all vaccines used in Barbados undergo rigorous, repeated international testing and meet the highest global safety standards set by leading global health bodies. She also clarified that frontline healthcare workers are not focused on pressuring hesitant parents to vaccinate their children; instead, their role is to listen to concerns, answer questions, and provide evidence-based guidance to help families make informed decisions.

    Amalia Del Riego, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative for Barbados, reinforced the urgency of closing immunization coverage gaps across the region, noting that decades of steady progress in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases is now under growing threat. “In 50 years in the region of the Americas, we have prevented 15 million deaths and 1.1 billion cases of disability through immunization,” Del Riego said. But she warned that the public health landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with measles transmission becoming re-established in the region and confirmed cases tripling compared to 2023.

    Del Riego stressed that immediate collective action is needed to reverse these troubling trends. “Without a decision and engagement from communities, we are losing if we are not very careful. We need to be a little bit more assertive. It is really the time to act now,” she said.

    Senior Health Sister Hazel Forde, who helped organize the polyclinic open day events, underscored the core mission of the campaign, aligning with the Vaccination Week theme. “Today is centered on one simple but powerful idea: Your decision makes a difference. We are not here only to provide services, but to promote and provide advocacy, to support you, to educate you, and to empower you as you take charge of your own health,” Forde explained.

    She added that the campaign extends far beyond routine childhood immunization, offering a full spectrum of community health services to address a wide range of public health needs. “Whether you are accessing vaccinations, learning about non-communicable diseases, or taking advantage of our confidential STI testing, you are making a meaningful investment in your well-being,” Forde said, echoing the WHO’s definition of health as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease. “It is about prevention. It’s about awareness, and it’s about community,” she noted.

    Forde also emphasized that Vaccination Week is more than a one-off public health campaign; it is part of a broader, sustained movement to embed shared responsibility for public health across Barbadian society. “Health is a shared responsibility. And that by working together we can protect generations from preventable disease,” she said.

    Cummins added that the vast majority of Barbadian parents already support routine childhood vaccination, but everyday life challenges often prevent families from keeping scheduled vaccination appointments. “Life happens, people get busy. Some parents sometimes forget appointments. It’s okay to have questions, and that’s what our medical health professionals are here for,” she said.

    The ongoing polyclinic open days offer a broad range of integrated services beyond immunization, including general health screenings and evidence-based public health education sessions. Organizers say the goal of the community-focused model is to close persistent coverage gaps and ensure that underserved populations across the country have equal access to life-saving vaccination services.

  • Rotary Club of Grenada collaborates with Ministry of Health

    Rotary Club of Grenada collaborates with Ministry of Health

    To mark World Immunisation Week, which runs from April 24 to 30, the Rotary Club of Grenada has launched a partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health to roll out a nationwide vaccination awareness initiative. This joint project reflects a shared, dedicated mission to protect public health and guarantee that every Grenadian has fair, equal access to vaccines that save lives.

    World Immunisation Week was established to draw global attention to the critical role vaccines play in stopping the spread of preventable diseases, cutting global mortality rates, and fostering stronger, healthier communities around the world. For this Grenada-based initiative, the two organizing bodies have set a core goal of boosting public trust in routine and scheduled immunizations. They plan to do this by dismantling common misinformation and harmful myths around vaccines, distributing evidence-based, accurate health information, and motivating families across the country to catch up on missed doses and participate fully in national vaccination programs.

    Julia Lawrence, president of the Rotary Club of Grenada, highlighted the far-reaching importance of widespread vaccination uptake in a statement on the campaign. “Vaccination stands as one of the most powerful public health tools we have to shield our families, our children, and our entire nation from illnesses that can be easily prevented,” Lawrence said. “Beyond the proven science behind immunization, this is an issue rooted in equity, accessible healthcare, and collective community responsibility. By raising targeted awareness, we can make sure every household understands why vaccination matters, and every person has the opportunity to protect their own health and the health of those around them.”

    The cross-island campaign will include a full schedule of local community outreach events and targeted media engagement efforts, designed to reach even remote households across Grenada. Rotarian volunteers will work alongside trained public health professionals to answer unaddressed public questions, share accessible educational resources, and support ongoing vaccination drives in every region of the island.

    Senior officials from the Ministry of Health have expressed strong support for the collaboration, noting that cross-sector partnerships between community organizations and government health bodies are critical to meeting national immunization coverage goals. Together, the Ministry of Health and Rotary Club of Grenada have reaffirmed their shared commitment to protecting children, adult family members, and medically vulnerable populations across the country from entirely preventable infectious diseases.

    This new initiative builds on Rotary International’s decades-long global commitment to advancing public health, including its high-profile leadership role in the global fight to eradicate polio. On the local level, the Rotary Club of Grenada has a long track record of running impactful community health projects, including a long-standing free eye care program and the recent Childhood Obesity Prevention initiative. That project promoted increased water intake and reduced sugar consumption, distributing 800 branded reusable water bottles with the slogan “More water…Less sugar” to 36 primary and secondary schools across the country. Looking ahead, the club is also scheduled to host a public community health fair at the Gouyave Health Centre on May 9, 2026.

    By partnering with the Ministry of Health to mark World Immunisation Week, the Rotary Club of Grenada continues to uphold its core motto of “service above self” and reinforce the value of collective community responsibility for public health outcomes.

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  • Suspected Measles Case Detected in Toledo

    Suspected Measles Case Detected in Toledo

    Public health authorities in the Toledo District have confirmed the detection of a suspected measles case, triggering an immediate coordinated response to stop potential spread of the highly contagious virus, according to an official announcement from the local Ministry of Health and Wellness.

    The patient in question is a 19-year-old individual who recently returned from travel to Guatemala, a country currently grappling with a large, sustained measles outbreak that has already been linked to more than 5,000 confirmed cases since the end of 2025. The preliminary diagnosis of the suspected case was completed on April 24, 2026, and public health protocols were activated within hours of the result.

    To mitigate the risk of secondary transmission, health officials have implemented strict isolation protocols for the affected patient and ordered mandatory quarantine for all identified close contacts of the individual. In addition to these control measures, specialized health response teams have already launched two key containment initiatives: a targeted ring vaccination campaign for anyone potentially exposed to the virus, and expanded community outreach programs to educate local residents on measles symptoms and prevention strategies.

    The detection of the imported suspected case has amplified existing concerns about cross-border spread of the virus, given the ongoing widespread transmission in neighboring Guatemala. In a public advisory, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has renewed its urgent call for all community members to check their vaccination status and ensure they are fully protected against measles. Authorities emphasized that while measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases that can spread through respiratory droplets, it is entirely preventable through safe, effective vaccination.

    As of April 27, 2026, public health agencies say they remain at a high level of alert, with ongoing active monitoring of the situation to quickly identify any additional cases and stop transmission chains before they can escalate into a larger local outbreak.

  • CARPHA and St George’s University sign landmark 5-year agreement

    CARPHA and St George’s University sign landmark 5-year agreement

    On April 21, 2026, two leading Caribbean health and academic institutions — the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and St George’s University (SGU) — formalized a transformative five-year strategic partnership via a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), designed to strengthen regional public health systems across the Caribbean bloc through integrated research, specialized training, and data-backed policy development.

    This new agreement builds on decades of informal collaboration between the two organizations to create a structured framework for addressing the Caribbean’s most pressing public health priorities. Key focus areas of the partnership range from tackling rising rates of communicable and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to mitigating the public health impacts of environmental change, with targeted work planned across seven core domains. These include co-developing public health research and generating actionable evidence, expanding hands-on student training and public health workforce development, building specialized capacity in epidemiology, public health practice and data analytics, advancing digital innovation to strengthen regional health infrastructure, facilitating standardized data analysis and cross-institutional knowledge sharing, advancing integrated One Health initiatives including laboratory and technical cooperation, and jointly executing the 71st Annual Health Research Conference.

    At the official signing ceremony, Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, emphasized that the new MoU codifies a long-standing, productive working relationship between the two institutions. “This agreement solidifies what we have already built over years of collaboration, and it will position both CARPHA and SGU as central regional leaders in public health research and practice across the Caribbean,” Indar explained. She added that the partnership will streamline the process of translating groundbreaking research findings into evidence-based policy recommendations for CARPHA’s member states, and serves as a model for innovative collaborative approaches to addressing shared regional public health challenges.

    Speaking on behalf of SGU, Professor Marios Loukas, President and Dean of the university’s School of Medicine, framed the partnership as a defining milestone for Caribbean public health. By combining SGU’s robust academic and research capabilities with CARPHA’s established regional public health leadership, the institutions will build a unified, cross-sector platform to accelerate innovation, expand regional research capacity, and speed the conversion of research evidence into tangible policy and on-the-ground practice. “This collaboration paves the way for a more resilient, equitable, and healthier Caribbean, and positions the region as a global leader in innovative public health action,” Loukas noted.

    The formal partnership is the outcome of more than a decade of incremental collaboration between the two organizations. For years, SGU has placed its students in internship placements at CARPHA, giving emerging public health professionals hands-on experience working on regional initiatives while contributing valuable support to CARPHA’s work across the bloc. SGU faculty have also partnered with CARPHA researchers on joint studies and represented the region in key stakeholder networks. One of the most high-profile past collaborations came in 2015, when SGU hosted CARPHA’s Annual Health Research Conference on its Grenada campus, demonstrating the university’s long-standing commitment to advancing regional health research agendas.