Carib Scope

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  • Health minister on first Dr Carissa Etienne Primary Health Care Week (with audio)

    Health minister on first Dr Carissa Etienne Primary Health Care Week (with audio)

    The Caribbean island of Dominica has launched its first ever Dr. Carissa Etienne Primary Health Care Week, a new commemorative initiative designed to honor the legacy of one of the region’s most influential public health leaders and expand access to community-centered care across the country.

    In a keynote address to mark the launch of the inaugural event, Honourable Cassanni Laville, the island’s Minister for Health, Wellness and Social Services, highlighted the urgent and ongoing need to strengthen primary health care infrastructure as the foundation of national public health systems. Laville’s address, which was recorded for broadcast to communities across the nation, outlined the core goals of the commemorative week, which centers on bringing critical health services directly to underserved populations, raising public awareness of preventive care, and training local health workers to deliver more responsive, patient-first treatment.

    The week is named for Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, a trailblazing Dominican public health expert who served for over a decade as Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), becoming one of the most respected voices on regional public health. Throughout her career, Etienne repeatedly emphasized that robust primary health care is the most effective path to achieving universal health coverage and reducing health inequities across the Americas. Her work guiding the region through multiple public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, cemented her reputation as a leader who prioritized accessible, community-rooted care.

    Throughout the five-day initiative, a full slate of planned activities will roll out across urban and rural communities across Dominica. These include free community health screenings for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, educational workshops on mental health wellness and maternal care, outreach campaigns to encourage routine vaccination, and consultation sessions to gather public input on how to improve local primary health services. Organizers note that the initiative is not just a one-time commemoration, but a catalyst for long-term improvements to primary care delivery across the island, aligned with the global movement toward universal health coverage that Dr. Etienne championed throughout her career.

    In her lifetime of work, Dr. Etienne consistently pushed for Caribbean nations to invest in primary care as a cost-effective, equitable way to improve population health outcomes. By naming this annual week in her honor, Dominica has formalized a commitment to carrying forward that vision, while creating a recurring platform to address gaps in local care and celebrate the work of frontline primary health workers who serve communities every day.

  • Ministry Pushes Back: ‘BFLA Is a Clinic, Not an Excluded Stakeholder’

    Ministry Pushes Back: ‘BFLA Is a Clinic, Not an Excluded Stakeholder’

    A public debate over the enforcement of Belize’s new national prescription regulations has intensified in recent days, centered on a growing rift between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and key reproductive health stakeholders over transparency and inclusive decision-making. At the heart of the disagreement is the status of the Belize Family Life Association (BFLA), a leading reproductive health organization that has raised sharp questions about whether it was sidelined during policy drafting.

    Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Public Health and Wellness, pushed back against claims of exclusion in an official statement, clarifying that the Ministry recognizes BFLA as a registered clinical entity integrated into the country’s broader public health ecosystem, not an outsider to regulatory discussions. “BFLA operates as a clinical care provider within our existing national health framework, so it is by no means an excluded stakeholder,” Diaz Musa affirmed.

    Despite the Ministry’s reassurance, the lack of clear documentation around pre-policy consultations remains a major point of contention. Speaking on the local current affairs program *Open Your Eyes*, BFLA Executive Director Joan Burke questioned the transparency of the policy development process, pointing out that the list of invited consultation participants has never been made public.

    Burke outlined the range of groups that should have a seat at the table for reproductive health regulation: the Belize Medical and Dental Association, the Nurses Association, the Pharmacy Association, national women’s advocacy organizations, BFLA itself, and representatives from the National Health Insurance scheme. “I really don’t know who was at the table during these consultations… Was this an informed decision that draws on the on-the-ground expertise of groups that work directly with patients every day?” Burke asked.

    The BFLA executive director warned that cutting frontline reproductive health organizations out of decision-making carries serious risks for patient access. Instead of improving care, Burke argued, the current opaque policy process could create unnecessary barriers that limit Belizeans’ ability to get affordable, timely contraceptive care. She emphasized that BFLA respects the Ministry of Health’s mandate as the national regulatory body and is committed to collaborating on public health goals, but cannot back a policy that erects barriers to care.

    “Our shared mission as public health actors is to deliver the highest standard of affordable care and expand access to essential services for all Belizeans,” Burke said. “We have to ask: does this proposed regulation actually advance that mission, or does it work against it?”

    For its part, the Ministry of Health and Wellness acknowledged that it fell short in clearly communicating the details of the new enforcement framework to stakeholders early in the process. Ministry representatives reiterated that the core goal of the new prescription regulation is to strengthen the safety and consistent regulation of contraceptive access within the national public health system, aligning with the government’s commitment to improving public health outcomes.

  • Free Health Expo Brings Team of 100 American Doctors to Belize City

    Free Health Expo Brings Team of 100 American Doctors to Belize City

    From April 14 through April 16, 2026, Belize City’s Belize Civic Center is playing host to an unprecedented free public health expo, bringing nearly 100 licensed American medical professionals to provide no-cost care to local residents. Organized through a three-way partnership between international Christian evangelistic ministry Amazing Facts, the Belize Union Mission Seventh-Day Adventists, and Belize’s national Ministry of Health, the initiative marks the largest cross-border free health outreach the country has ever hosted, per local government officials.

    The four-day event offers a full spectrum of essential medical services that address key gaps in accessible care for many Belizean communities. Attendees can access general medical consultations, pediatric care for children, comprehensive women’s health and gynecological services, and general dentistry, all completely free of charge with no out-of-pocket costs for participating patients. On the opening day of the expo, hundreds of Belizean residents arrived early and waited patiently to receive the much-needed services, highlighting the strong demand for accessible healthcare in the region.

    Speaking at the expo’s official opening ceremony, Belize’s Minister of Immigration Kareem Musa emphasized that the scale and scope of the collaboration are unmatched in Belize’s recent public health history. “I believe it’s the first of its kind, at least on this very large-scale level,” Musa told attendees. “As you could see, hundreds of Belizeans patiently awaiting this service, a very critical service.”

    Dr. Javier Canul, a representative from Belize’s Ministry of Health, framed the expo as a reflection of a more holistic approach to public health aligned with global standards. Citing the World Health Organization’s official definition of health, he noted that complete well-being extends far beyond simply treating illness. “If we go back to the World Health Organization’s definition of health, it’s not merely the absence of disease, but it goes to well-being, whether it be physical, spiritual, mental, and social,” he explained.

    For its part, lead organizing partner Amazing Facts traces its roots back to 1965, when it launched as a simple radio program that shared educational facts paired with approachable biblical teachings. Over nearly 60 years, the organization has grown into a global evangelistic ministry that runs community outreach programs across the world, combining faith-based engagement with tangible public service initiatives that support underserved populations.

  • US ex-cop reunites with Doctor’s Hospital surgeon who saved his life

    US ex-cop reunites with Doctor’s Hospital surgeon who saved his life

    Five years after a catastrophic stroke nearly claimed his life during a romantic anniversary trip to The Bahamas, former 28-year police veteran Ray Wood, 54, has finally fulfilled a year-long mission: meeting the neurosurgeon who pulled him through the most critical weeks of his medical battle to say thank you in person.

    The fateful event unfolded in July 2019 (corrected from original date misstatement) when Wood and his wife Raemie, also a police officer, traveled from their home in Southern California to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Frequent Caribbean travelers, the couple was four days into their trip when Wood developed a sudden, severe headache and breathing trouble ahead of a planned scuba dive. Though he initially rested on the boat, he joined the dive roughly 45 minutes later; by the time the group returned to shore, his condition deteriorated rapidly.

    After returning to their hotel, Wood lost consciousness and all memory of the hours that followed. Raemie quickly recognized the signs of a life-threatening event: her husband’s speech was slurred, he could not walk steadily, he had been vomiting, and he could barely navigate their hotel room. She immediately called for emergency services, packed essential items for a hospital stay, and reached out to a doctor acquaintance for guidance while waiting in the emergency department hallway as her husband underwent emergency imaging. “There was no time to cry at first,” Raemie recalled of the chaotic night. “I only broke down once I was in the hallway making calls.”

    Imaging scans confirmed a devastating brain bleed that affected nearly one-quarter of Wood’s brain. He arrived at Doctor’s Hospital around 2 a.m. with right-side weakness, complete inability to speak, and rapidly declining consciousness. When Dr. Susheel Wadhwa, the consultant neurosurgeon on the case, assessed him, his Glasgow Coma Score — a standard scale measuring consciousness levels — had fallen to just 10 and was dropping quickly.

    The case was uniquely high-risk from the start. The bleed occurred on the left side of Wood’s brain, the dominant hemisphere that controls critical motor and cognitive function for right-handed people like him. Compounding matters, Wood had a pre-existing heart condition: he had undergone a heart ablation procedure in 2019 and was taking daily aspirin, which significantly increases bleeding risk during brain surgery. He also tested positive for COVID-19, adding another layer of complexity to his care.

    Wadhwa led the first emergency surgery that lasted four hours, with the entire perioperative process stretching to seven to eight hours total. In the days that followed, Wood’s condition slowly stabilized, but the severe brain impairment left him unable to form new memories, resulting in little to no recollection of his two-week stay in the Bahamian hospital. When he finally regained full consciousness, his first question was not about his own condition — he asked if his wife was safe. He later underwent a second, shorter procedure, and part of his skull was temporarily removed and stored in his abdomen to reduce swelling before being reattached during a later procedure in Florida that November.

    After two weeks of critical care in Nassau, Wood was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Florida to begin the long, grueling process of recovery. For the former law enforcement officer, re-learning basic daily skills was a humbling, disorienting experience: he struggled with speech and mobility, and the stroke left him with permanent vision loss that prevents him from seeing anything below chest level, causing persistent balance issues. Today, he relies on a cane to walk to avoid falls. Raemie retired from her own police career to serve as his full-time caregiver, and the couple has entered a new chapter of life permanently reshaped by the near-tragedy.

    For more than a year, Wood held one unwavering goal: to return to The Bahamas and meet the surgical team that saved him, to express his gratitude in person. That long-awaited meeting happened last Friday, when Wood and Wadhwa sat down together to revisit the original CT scan that showed the life-threatening brain bleed.

    With tears in his eyes, Wood reflected on the extraordinary circumstances of his survival. “I was a policeman for 28 years, I can’t tell you how many times I was shot at, how many times bad guys tried to take my life,” he told The Tribune. “Here I am, celebrating life and having a great time, and this comes out of nowhere — and a man that can save my life. Today I’m just grateful to be alive.”

    For Wadhwa and his medical team, these rare in-person reunions carry profound meaning, especially for intensive care staff who rarely get to see the long-term outcomes of the critical patients they treat. “When you are amidst all of this work, and you have a story like this that just comes back, it brightens the whole team,” Wadhwa said. “Even the team’s morale, especially with nurses in the ICU — they’re seeing very sick patients every day, and they so rarely get to find out what that person’s outcome ends up being. This means more than you know.”

  • Westmoreland residents urged to guard against gastroenteritis

    Westmoreland residents urged to guard against gastroenteritis

    SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Jamaica — Public health officials in Jamaica’s Westmoreland parish have issued an urgent call for stepped-up hygiene adherence after the region recorded a sharp 140% weekly increase in gastroenteritis cases, a sudden uptick that stands out against an overall declining trend for most other common communicable diseases. During an April 9 address to the monthly sitting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, Dr. Marcia Graham, the parish’s top Medical Officer of Health, confirmed that gastroenteritis is the only major illness currently seeing sustained growth in case numbers across the region.

    Graham laid out the context of the public health situation, noting that most endemic and seasonal diseases in the area are moving in a positive direction. Seasonal influenza cases are steadily dropping, and suspected dengue fever diagnoses have fallen to near-record lows, with only a handful of possible cases reported in recent weeks. This broader positive trend makes the sudden surge in gastroenteritis a notable cause for concern for local health authorities, she added.

    To reverse the upward trajectory of infections, Graham emphasized that low-cost, routine preventive measures are the most effective tool to slow transmission. She is urging all residents to prioritize consistent handwashing with soap and safe food handling practices, noting that widespread public adoption of these simple habits will be the critical factor in bringing the outbreak back under control. “Healthy practices can help us reverse this upward trend,” Graham told the corporation, stressing that community cooperation is non-negotiable for success.

    Alongside the gastroenteritis alert, Graham also issued a separate warning to local families about the hidden risk of accidental childhood poisoning from unsafe chemical storage. She specifically called on residents to stop storing toxic household chemicals in unlabeled beverage containers that are visually appealing to curious young children, who often mistake the stored chemicals for safe drinks. Graham noted that young children are increasingly mobile and exploratory, meaning even a moment of unsupervised time can lead to a life-threatening accidental ingestion. She reminded caregivers that constant close supervision of young children, paired with safe, childproof storage of all hazardous materials, is essential to prevent preventable tragedies.

    In closing, health officials are encouraging all Westmoreland residents to integrate both improved hygiene practices and safer household storage habits into their daily routines to protect both individual and community public health moving forward.

  • Jamaica among several Caricom countries highlighted for progess in health sector — report

    Jamaica among several Caricom countries highlighted for progess in health sector — report

    In its 2025 annual country office performance report released Monday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has recognized notable health sector advancements across dozens of member states in the Americas, singling out Jamaica and other Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations for standout progress in regional public health. The comprehensive report maps concrete achievements from tailored, country-led public health initiatives forged through technical cooperation between PAHO, national governments, and cross-sector strategic partners, linking local health gains to broader regional stability and social development.

    Beyond Jamaica, the report highlights meaningful headway from Barbados, Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean bloc, Guyana, Suriname, and Haiti, marking collective momentum across the Caribbean that many global health observers have hailed as promising for the region. Progress has unfolded across a diverse spectrum of priority public health areas, tailored to each nation’s unique unmet health needs.

    Across the continent, four nations — Argentina, Bermuda, Haiti, and Venezuela — have expanded fair, equitable access to life-saving medicines, vaccines, and core health supplies, closing gaps that previously left marginalized communities without critical care. Belize, Bolivia, and Curaçao have moved mental health integration forward, rolling out updated national policies, expanding access to community-centered care, and scaling up support services for people living with mental health conditions. The Bahamas, Brazil, and Guatemala have recorded measurable reductions in maternal mortality while upgrading maternal and neonatal health services, and building public infrastructure that supports healthy aging for older populations.

    Barbados, Eastern Caribbean member states, Cuba, Guyana, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico have ramped up regional efforts to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases — which account for a majority of deaths across the Americas — along with addressing their underlying risk factors. In the fast-growing area of digital health transformation, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, and Panama have upgraded system interoperability, expanded access to telehealth services for underserved areas, and boosted digital literacy among frontline health workers to enable more connected, efficient care.

    For Jamaica, a key area of progress highlighted is emergency preparedness and response capacity. The island nation, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru, has strengthened national systems to respond to public health emergencies, epidemics, and pandemics. PAHO specifically noted Jamaica’s rapid, effective response after Hurricane Melissa hit in October 2025, which destroyed five hospitals and damaged more than 100 primary health centers across the country. Despite the widespread damage, Jamaican authorities moved quickly to deploy urgent support and keep essential health services operational for affected communities, demonstrating the value of the strengthened emergency frameworks the country has built.

    One of the most transformative milestones highlighted in the 2025 report is Suriname’s certification as malaria-free, making it the first country in the entire Amazon basin to earn this designation. The achievement marks a historic leap forward for regional malaria elimination efforts, setting a precedent for other Amazon nations working to eradicate the mosquito-borne disease.

    PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa emphasized that the progress outlined in the annual reports delivers far more than improved health outcomes for local populations. “The initiatives presented in these reports not only contribute to protecting the health and well-being of populations, but also support stability, security and social development in the Americas,” Dr. Barbosa said. He added that the 2025 reporting year came with unique global and regional challenges that tested health system resilience across the hemisphere, reinforcing the core value of cross-border Pan-American cooperation in addressing shared public health threats.

    The report notes that while national contexts and health gaps vary widely across the region, all participating countries share a common commitment to strengthening health systems through expanded access to essential medical technologies, life-saving treatments, and affordable, quality health supplies — supported in large part by PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds. In addition to the progress outlined across priority areas, the report also documents collective gains in expanding primary health care access and integrating mental health into national health systems.

    As the world’s oldest active international public health agency, PAHO currently operates 27 country offices across the Americas, two specialized research and care centers, and maintains an official presence in 35 member states and four associate members. Founded in 1902 as the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System (OAS), PAHO has also served as the World Health Organization’s official regional office for the Americas since 1949.

  • PM Browne Says ‘Follow the Leader’ Health Walk a Major Success, Urges Continued Focus on Active Living

    PM Browne Says ‘Follow the Leader’ Health Walk a Major Success, Urges Continued Focus on Active Living

    On a recent Saturday, scores of Antiguans and Barbudans from across the twin-island nation turned out to walk alongside Prime Minister Gaston Browne for the “Follow the Leader” Health Walk, a public initiative designed to push for healthier daily habits and strengthen connections between community members. Unlike isolated fitness events that draw only dedicated exercise enthusiasts, this gathering brought together supporters of all ages and backgrounds, turning a scheduled stroll along a pre-planned route into both a gentle physical activity and a visible display of national unity.

    Opening remarks from Browne celebrated the unexpectedly strong turnout, with the prime minister emphasizing the well-documented link between consistent, routine physical activity and lower rates of preventable, lifestyle-linked chronic illnesses that strain national public health systems. Browne stressed that the benefits of events like the Health Walk extend far beyond the single day of activity, urging attendees to integrate regular movement into their weekly routines rather than only participating in one-off organized wellness gatherings.

    This walk is not an isolated project, Browne noted: it forms one piece of a broader, government-led push to improve population-level health outcomes across Antigua and Barbuda. The prime minister closed by calling on all citizens of the nation to continue “walking together” – both literally, through ongoing physical activity, and collectively, as a community working toward the shared goal of a healthier population. Organizers confirmed that the “Follow the Leader” Health Walk is just the first in a slate of planned programs that will pair public wellness education with opportunities for cross-community engagement across the country in the coming months.

  • Rode Kruis activeert landelijke aanpak tegen Chikungunya

    Rode Kruis activeert landelijke aanpak tegen Chikungunya

    As Suriname grapples with a growing Chikungunya outbreak, the Suriname Red Cross has rolled out a structured, community-focused response program to curb transmission and protect at-risk populations, according to the organization’s director general Glenn Wijngaarde.

    The initiative, which launched in early March and will run through the end of July, prioritizes public education, preventive action, and targeted support for vulnerable groups across the country’s highest-risk districts, including the capital district Paramaribo, Commewijne, and Nickerie. Among the populations receiving heightened attention are pregnant women, children, older adults, and school communities, which face greater potential complications from the viral infection.

    A core pillar of the program is eliminating breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito—the primary vector that carries the Chikungunya virus. Red Cross volunteers are conducting door-to-door outreach across affected communities to raise awareness about how maintaining a clean living environment and eliminating standing water can cut down on mosquito populations. Complementing these on-the-ground efforts, the organization is also running widespread public awareness campaigns through traditional media and social media platforms to reach broader audiences.

    Chikungunya is transmitted by the same mosquito species that spreads two other major tropical viruses: dengue and Zika. The transmission cycle begins when an uninfected mosquito bites a person already carrying the virus, then carries the pathogen to other healthy individuals through subsequent bites. This is why eliminating mosquito breeding grounds—primarily pools of standing water where the insects lay their eggs—is the most critical step in slowing and stopping outbreak spread.

    To ensure the response is coordinated and efficient, the Suriname Red Cross is working closely with national public health authorities. The organization holds regular coordination meetings with the National Chikungunya Working Group to align activities, share data, and avoid duplication of efforts across response teams. The entire emergency response operation is funded by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the global body that supports national Red Cross societies in delivering humanitarian and public health action.

  • Catherine Hall Health Centre to reopen in two weeks

    Catherine Hall Health Centre to reopen in two weeks

    Following extensive damage from Hurricane Melissa last October, the Catherine Hall Health Centre in St James, Jamaica is on track to welcome patients again in just two weeks, marking a key milestone in the parish’s post-disaster healthcare recovery. This timeline was confirmed by Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton, who shared the update during an on-site inspection tour Friday to assess repair progress across multiple local facilities.

    During the visit, Dr. Tufton outlined that teams are currently finalizing furniture installation and wrapping up remaining restoration work to meet the two-week reopening target. Alongside his stop at Catherine Hall, the minister also toured the Green Pond and Glendevon health centres, where ongoing remediation work is steadily progressing. At Green Pond, he confirmed that critical maternal and child health services have already resumed, representing a major step toward returning full normal operations across the parish’s primary care network.

    To date, 19 of St James’ 22 total community health centres are now fully functional, according to Dr. Tufton’s update. Patient foot traffic, which dropped sharply in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, has rebounded significantly, climbing back to more than 90% of pre-storm levels as access to local care is restored.

    Dr. Tufton used the opportunity to urge local residents to rely on primary healthcare facilities for ongoing care, particularly for managing chronic conditions including diabetes and hypertension. Shifting routine care to community centres, he explained, will ease unnecessary strain on local hospital emergency departments, ensuring emergency services remain available for patients with acute, urgent needs.

    With the first phase of post-hurricane restoration — focused on returning services to functional existing facilities — nearly complete, the ministry will now shift its focus to a second phase of work. This next stage will involve more extensive structural overhauls for the facilities that suffered the most severe damage during the storm.

    On the topic of healthcare staffing, Dr. Tufton addressed the upcoming replacement of a Cuban nurse previously assigned to one of St James’ primary care facilities. He noted that Cuban healthcare workers were never deployed as broadly across St James’ primary care sector as they are in other Jamaican parishes, with only one Cuban nurse serving in the parish’s primary care network. As such, the transition will have minimal impact on service delivery, and care will continue uninterrupted for local residents, he assured the community.

  • LETTER: to the CEO of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority

    LETTER: to the CEO of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority

    A member of the public in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has put forward a structured policy proposal to enhance the credibility and clinical quality of the nation’s licensed medicinal cannabis distribution outlets, calling for the placement of registered medical doctors on-site at all dispensaries. The suggestion comes after the writer attended two recent public discussions on medicinal cannabis that reshaped their perspective on the emerging industry.

    The first event was a radio interview on Observer FM with Regis Burton, Chief Executive Officer of the country’s Medicinal Cannabis Authority. The second was a televised panel discussion hosted by attorney Elease St. Romain, which featured a Vincentian medical doctor who publicly endorsed the clinical use of cannabis. These appearances marked a noticeable shift in public discourse: long-held social stigma and irrational fear surrounding cannabis use for medical purposes are gradually fading, thanks in large part to expanded public education efforts led by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority.

    Burton’s deep expertise and clear communication about the regulated cannabis industry left a strong positive impression on the writer, who noted that growing numbers of local residents are now open to accepting cannabis as a legitimate treatment option. Unfortunately, the Observer FM radio host did not open the segment to public questions, leaving the writer unable to share their idea during the live broadcast.

    The core of the proposal is a model that mirrors standard primary care clinics: rather than relying on nursing staff with more limited medical training to assess patient needs, each licensed cannabis outlet would employ a licensed physician to lead its dispensary team and serve as the primary point of clinical contact for patients. The writer adds that the plan would also address a pressing local employment issue: Saint Vincent currently has a surplus of newly graduated medical doctors, many of whom cannot secure positions at overcrowded public hospitals. Deploying these qualified young clinicians to medicinal cannabis outlets would solve two problems at once, boosting both the reputability of the regulated cannabis sector and employment opportunities for new medical graduates.