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  • ACSOM looks to deepen community healthcare engagement in Dominica

    ACSOM looks to deepen community healthcare engagement in Dominica

    Since its founding on the Caribbean island of Dominica in 2023, the American Canadian School of Medicine (ACSOM), a non-profit medical training institution focused on clinically oriented physician education, has laid out an ambitious new plan to deepen its impact on local healthcare. The organization aims to grow its footprint across Dominican communities through a robust portfolio of public medical outreach initiatives, according to top leadership at the school.

    Dr. Ray King, ACSOM’s interim dean and chief academic officer, who is a U.S.-board certified surgeon, outlined that the institution will prioritize scaling up accessible community health events. These efforts will include regular health fairs, widespread preventive screening camps, and grassroots public health projects, with a targeted focus on tackling widespread chronic conditions that affect many Dominican residents, particularly hypertension and diabetes. These conditions represent major public health burdens in many small island nations, and expanded screening is seen as a critical step toward earlier intervention and better long-term health outcomes for local populations.

    Beyond direct community programming, ACSOM is actively working to forge stronger collaborative ties with Dominica’s existing local medical ecosystem. Dr. King emphasized that the school is eager to build closer working relationships with local practicing doctors, public and private hospitals, and other independent healthcare providers across the island. A key part of this collaboration includes creating pathways for qualified local physicians to contribute to ACSOM’s training and outreach programs, blending local expertise with the school’s educational framework.

    In a personal commitment to deeper local engagement, Dr. King shared that he is currently pursuing a medical practice license through Dominican regulatory authorities. Once obtained, this license will allow him to provide direct clinical care to both ACSOM stakeholders and members of the general public, expanding the school’s ability to contribute hands-on support to the island’s healthcare system.

    Dominica itself also plays a central educational role for ACSOM’s student body, Dr. King explained. The island offers a unique hands-on clinical training environment that lets medical students develop core patient care and clinical skills while gaining first-hand experience of how healthcare delivery operates outside of their home countries in North America. Dr. King drew a personal connection to this model, noting that his own early clinical rotation at Dominica’s Princess Margaret Hospital was a transformative experience that heavily shaped his decision to pursue a career in surgery.

    As a non-profit entity, ACSOM has a stated institutional mission that extends beyond training the next generation of physicians: the school is broadly committed to expanding access to quality healthcare for both local communities in Dominica and underserved populations across the globe. The new expansion of outreach and partnership efforts marks the latest step toward delivering on that long-term commitment.

  • At least 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured in Haiti, 2nd quarter (report)

    At least 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured in Haiti, 2nd quarter (report)

    A devastating new United Nations report has laid bare the full scale of human suffering unfolding across Haiti in the second quarter of 2026, documenting more than 1,400 deaths and hundreds of injuries linked to widespread violence perpetrated by armed gangs, vigilante groups, civilian unrest, security force operations, and activity by a private military contractor.

    Released by the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), the report covers the 13-week period from April 1 to June 30, 2026, and reveals that men made up 85% of all fatal and injured victims, while women accounted for 11% and children 4% of the total toll.

    The data also exposes a ongoing crisis of gender-based violence carried out by armed gangs, with at least 796 confirmed rape victims recorded across the quarter. Of these victims, 772 were adult women, 23 were underage girls, and one was a man. A staggering 87% of all recorded cases were gang rapes, and 98% of all sexual violence incidents were concentrated in Haiti’s West Department.

    Beyond the capital Port-au-Prince, armed gangs have continued to expand their territorial control, with violence escalating sharply in the agricultural heartland of Artibonite and new incursions launched into the previously more stable Southeast Department. In Artibonite, one of Haiti’s key farming regions, armed groups have targeted rural communities, executing residents inside their homes and killing farmers as they worked in agricultural fields. To the south, the notorious Village de Dieu gang launched multiple violent raids around the town of Séguin, an area that had largely avoided this type of large-scale gang violence prior to the second quarter.

    Alongside killings and sexual violence, gangs have maintained a thriving kidnapping-for-ransom trade across the country. The report records at least 81 abductions for ransom between April and June, with 63% of these cases taking place in the West Department and 27% occurring in Artibonite.

    The report also documents the growing threat of explosive drone attacks targeting civilian populations, with at least nine civilians – including six children – killed or injured by unmanned explosive devices during the quarter. Three police officers were also killed in violence, with two additional officers sustaining serious injuries.

    Some of the worst bloodshed of the quarter unfolded in two densely populated areas of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince: the sprawling Cul-de-Sac Plain and the working-class neighborhood of Cité Soleil. Rival gangs clashed there in intense, prolonged battles for control of strategic territory and lucrative illicit revenue streams. The fighting left 463 people dead, hundreds more wounded, and hundreds of others subjected to sexual violence. More than 18,000 residents were forced to flee their homes to escape the violence, and all local health and education services were suspended indefinitely as a result of the unrest.

    The full 30-page report in English is available for public download via HaitiLibre at the published link.

  • St Kitts and Nevis Biometric enrolment reaches Lagos, Nigeria platform

    St Kitts and Nevis Biometric enrolment reaches Lagos, Nigeria platform

    The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has expanded its global biometric passport modernization initiative with the opening of a new biometric enrolment facility in Lagos, Nigeria, bringing accessible in-person identity verification services directly to its citizen community across Africa. This new location is a key milestone in the government’s plan to build a decentralized international service network, eliminating the requirement for overseas citizens to travel back to the Caribbean federation solely to complete mandatory biometric data collection.

    All existing St. Kitts and Nevis citizens have been given a clear deadline of July 31, 2027, to complete their biometric enrolment as part of the transition to the new, security-enhanced passport system. Far from being just a technological update, the modernization program prioritizes citizen convenience by pairing new digital identity standards with a growing network of physical collection centres spread across major global hubs.

    The enrolment process follows a structured, multi-step framework designed to ensure data accuracy and identity verification. For African-based citizens, the process begins with contacting an officially authorized Authorised Agent, who provides a unique personalized registration link. After creating an account using their Certificate of Registration number and other required personal details, applicants complete an online application form, select the Lagos collection centre, choose an available appointment slot, and submit the required processing fee. All bookings are subject to review and confirmation by the assigned Authorised Agent before being finalized by the national Citizenship Unit.

    Biometric appointments at the Lagos centre are designed for efficiency, typically taking between 15 and 30 minutes to complete. During the appointment, applicants provide core biometric data including ten fingerprints and a standardized digital facial photograph; depending on individual circumstances, the process may also include an iris scan and digital signature capture. All applicants are required to present their existing passport for in-person identity verification. Once data collection is complete, the encrypted biometric information is transmitted securely to St. Kitts and Nevis government servers for processing. Successful enrolment triggers confirmation notices to both the applicant and their Authorised Agent, after which the official new passport application process moves forward.

    The addition of Lagos to the global collection network reflects the growing international footprint of St. Kitts and Nevis’ citizen population. The Citizenship Unit already operates approved enrolment centres across 12 locations worldwide, including St. Kitts itself, London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Toronto, Ottawa, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, Jeddah, and Singapore. For citizens living across Africa, the Lagos centre offers a geographically convenient regional hub that cuts down on travel costs and logistical burdens that would come with travelling to collection centres on other continents.

    St. Kitts and Nevis first launched its full passport modernization program in April 2026, with the core goal of aligning the country’s passport security standards with leading international frameworks used by the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other major global economies. For new citizenship applicants, biometric enrolment is already integrated directly into the application process, with appointment slots made available once an application reaches the Approval in Principle stage.

    To encourage early completion of enrolment among existing citizens, the government is offering a limited-time fee reduction through the end of 2026. Currently, the standard all-inclusive enrolment fee is $2,500 USD for a primary adult applicant, $2,000 USD for a second adult, and $1,300 USD for children under the age of 16. Citizens who complete their enrolment between July 20 and December 31, 2026, qualify for a 10 percent discount on government biometric fees, with the standard full fee schedule set to resume on January 1, 2027. Government officials note that this financial incentive, paired with the 2027 final deadline, is designed to encourage citizens to complete the process early, avoiding last-minute rushes that could lead to longer wait times.

  • Adult Education Division to showcase skills and creativity

    Adult Education Division to showcase skills and creativity

    Residents of Dominica will soon have a chance to celebrate the hard work and growth of adult learners across the island, as the nation’s Ministry of Education has announced it will open the doors to the Adult Education Division’s much-anticipated Annual Skills Exhibition later this week. Scheduled for Friday, August 28, 2026, the free public event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Adult Education Division’s headquarters located at 22 Kennedy Avenue in Roseau.

    This year’s exhibition will shine a spotlight on the diverse, practical skills that adult learners have built over the 2025–2026 academic year, featuring hundreds of original works and live demonstrations across a wide range of vocational disciplines. Attendees can expect to see projects and presentations from programs covering massage therapy, artisanal pastry making, custom garment sewing, traditional hair braiding, fine carpentry, and many other hands-on skill sets that prepare learners for employment and small business ownership.

    Event organizers note that the annual showcase is far more than a simple display of finished work. Beyond highlighting the tangible technical abilities learners have gained, the exhibition is designed to center the creativity, relentless dedication, and transformative personal progress that participants have achieved over the course of their studies. For many adult learners, returning to education to build new skills represents a major life milestone, and the event creates a formal space to honor that commitment.

    The Ministry of Education is actively encouraging all members of the public to turn out for the event, emphasizing that community attendance plays a key role in supporting participating learners and celebrating the valuable work being done through Dominica’s national adult education initiatives. Beyond celebration, the exhibition serves a broader purpose: it acts as a public platform to showcase the impact of accessible adult skills training, and to reinforce the widespread social and economic value of ongoing skills development and a culture of lifelong learning across all age groups.

  • Customs flags misuse of business concessions

    Customs flags misuse of business concessions

    During a press conference marking the 121st anniversary of Barbados’ Customs and Excise Department, Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn has issued a stark warning to local businesses against submitting fraudulent or inaccurate invoices, outlining the far-reaching harms that non-compliance brings to the island nation’s economy and global standing.

    Straughn opened his remarks by acknowledging longstanding challenges the Customs department faces in verifying invoice accuracy to collect full, lawful duties and taxes. He emphasized that under-invoicing and misreporting create two interconnected harms: it slashes the government’s overall revenue intake, and it creates an unlevel competitive playing field for honest businesses that follow regulatory rules. “When some operators cut corners by hiding accurate transaction details, they gain an illegal cost advantage over competitors that play by the rules,” Straughn explained. “A fair market requires all actors to contribute the same required duties and taxes to the public system.”

    The warning comes as Barbados prepares for a 2027 review by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules. Straughn stressed that resolving trade-based compliance gaps is critical to keeping Barbados off of international watchlists that carry damaging economic and reputational consequences. “No gray list, no black list, no watch list of any kind – our goal is to stay off all of them,” he said. The minister announced that the government will ramp up outreach to business stakeholders in coming months to clarify compliance requirements and the stakes of non-compliance for all segments of the public, from small enterprises to individual importers.

    Straughn also highlighted the central role the Customs and Excise Department plays in funding core public services, noting that the agency collects approximately 20% of the Barbadian government’s total annual revenue. That funding supports the country’s free public education system, robust universal public health infrastructure that prevents catastrophic medical debt for citizens, and targeted social safety net programs that support vulnerable communities across the island. “Every dollar of lawful revenue Customs collects directly translates to better services and support for all Barbadians,” he added.

    Outlining the three core compliance risks the department faces, Straughn explained that non-compliance typically falls into three categories: submission of fraudulent valuation information for imported goods, misclassification of items under tariff codes to secure lower duty rates, and delayed or incomplete upfront disclosure that overburdens the department’s post-clearance audit operations. He added that intentional mislabeling also poses severe risks to national security and public health, pointing to examples of illicit controlled substances being smuggled into the country mislabeled as legitimate consumer goods such as vitamins.

    Newly appointed Comptroller of Customs Lynette Padmore also raised concerns about misuse of government-issued import concessions, which are designed to support targeted sectors including manufacturing, tourism investment, and green economy initiatives. Padmore reported that the department has uncovered repeated cases of importers securing concessions for raw materials or manufacturing equipment, only to divert or sell the items for unauthorized uses. “When the government provides financial concessions to support business growth, we expect recipients to uphold their end of the agreement by adhering to the terms of that support,” she said.

    Straughn confirmed that concession volumes have risen sharply in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, driven largely by tourism infrastructure investment enabled by the Tourism Development Act and rising global construction costs that have increased the total value of concession-eligible imports. He also noted that one of the largest recent concession programs has been incentives for electric and hybrid vehicle imports, launched four years ago to advance the government’s goal of decarbonizing Barbados’ national vehicle fleet. The policy has proven successful: the government’s own transport fleet is now nearly 100% electric, and private adoption has grown dramatically. Straughn announced that the incentive program will end soon, as the government transitions back to standard import rules.

    Acknowledging that the Customs department faces persistent staffing shortages that prevent daily, widespread inspections of all import operations, Straughn emphasized that voluntary compliance and mutual trust are foundational to the agency’s work. To close compliance gaps, the government is developing digital inventory tracking systems to monitor concession-eligible goods across the economy, and is partnering with key industry groups including the Barbados Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Association, and Manufacturers Association to spread awareness of compliance standards and encourage peer accountability among business owners.

  • Massacre : The high command of the Haitian National Police (PNH) has gone to Kenscoff

    Massacre : The high command of the Haitian National Police (PNH) has gone to Kenscoff

    Less than 48 hours after a brutal mass killing shook the mountainous Haitian town of Kenscoff, the top leadership of the Haitian National Police (PNH) traveled to the violence-stricken community on August 26, 2026 to evaluate the aftermath and shore up security amid widespread grief and calls for accountability.

    Leading the delegation was Vladimir Paraison, the Acting Director General of the PNH, who was joined by multiple senior members of the police high command. The official trip came in direct response to a coordinated attack carried out by armed groups overnight between August 23 and 24, 2026, which preliminary reports confirm left at least 60 people dead.

    During the visit, Paraison held closed-door talks with local municipal leaders and the commander of the Kenscoff district police station to map out the full scope of the violence and align on urgent security interventions. Following these discussions, Paraison issued formal orders to deploy additional elite, specialized PNH units to the areas most impacted by the attack, boosting visible patrols and response capacity to prevent further bloodshed.

    In a public statement following the meetings, Paraison extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the massacre, emphasizing that the national police force remains unwavering in its commitment to holding every perpetrator and accomplice accountable. He specifically directed the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) to launch a full, unobstructed investigation into all circumstances surrounding the attack, with a key focus on uncovering how heavily armed assailants were able to infiltrate the core of the Kenscoff commune without detection.

    The investigation’s mandated outcomes are clear: PNH high command aims to uncover any internal complicity or institutional negligence that allowed the attack to proceed, identify all individuals linked to the planning and execution of the massacre, assign clear legal and institutional responsibility, and pursue full legal action against all parties found responsible.

  • Opposition Leader in police detention; evidence disputes damage to go-fast boat

    Opposition Leader in police detention; evidence disputes damage to go-fast boat

    On Tuesday, Azruddin Mohamed, leader of Guyana’s main opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), was taken into police custody following a routine maritime enforcement check that quickly escalated into a bitter political dispute, with new visual evidence contradicting his core claim of deliberate property damage at the hands of authorities.

    The sequence of events unfolded amid a trip by Mohamed and five other WIN parliamentarians to northwestern Guyana’s Region One, where they traveled to meet with survivors and families of victims of the July 19 MV Barima ferry sinking, one of the country’s deadliest recent maritime disasters. The delegation was returning from the visit when marine police and coast guard personnel intercepted their go-fast vessel at its home dock in Friendship, along the East Bank Demerara. According to official police accounts, Mohamed was unable to produce required documentation: the vessel’s registration certificate, fitness certification, and the captain’s operating license.

    Mohamed and his team agreed to allow a search of the vessel at the Friendship dock, after which the boat was escorted to the Guyana Police Force’s marine wing headquarters in Ruimveldt for a full inspection. No illegal items were recovered during the search, per WIN’s official statement on the incident. When preparing to leave the facility, Mohamed was asked to sign a police statement regarding the stop; when he declined, he was placed under arrest citing provisions of Guyana’s Maritime Act. As of Wednesday morning, he remained in police custody.

    Shortly after his detention, Mohamed posted an allegation on his political group’s official Facebook page, Team Mohamed’s, claiming that his vessel had suffered deliberate hull damage while in police custody. In his post published at 6:54 AM Tuesday, Mohamed claimed the damage was a deliberate act of retaliation by the ruling administration, writing that authorities intentionally left the boat moored in a way that would damage its hull and lower engine structure, leaving visible damage after just four hours in police possession. He shared photos of the damaged section of the vessel’s hull to support his claim.

    However, conflicting evidence emerged less than two hours before Mohamed’s post, in a 5:36 AM Facebook video shared by local figure Akim Hercules. The video, filmed when the boat was still anchored in an interior river location during the WIN delegation’s humanitarian trip, shows the identical damage to the vessel’s hull that Mohamed blamed on police. Hercules noted in his post that the damage occurred while the opposition team was in Region One carrying out humanitarian outreach to those affected by the MV Barima disaster, adding that the incident was unrelated to partisan politics.

    WIN’s official statement has raised a series of critical questions about the legality and motivations behind Mohamed’s arrest and the vessel’s detention. The party points out that the boat was already docked and not in active operation when law enforcement arrived, no illegal contraband was found during the search, and authorities have failed to issue a formal detention notice for the vessel or cite specific provisions of Guyana’s Shipping Act to justify either the vessel’s seizure or Mohamed’s arrest.

    “The circumstances surrounding the continued detention raise serious questions about whether the actions being taken are based on a legitimate enforcement process or on external directives and political considerations,” the party’s statement read. WIN has alleged that the country’s police force and Guyana Defence Force are being politically weaponized against the opposition, arguing that Tuesday’s enforcement action directly followed the delegation’s visit to MV Barima survivors. During that visit, Mohamed advised affected families not to sign government-issued compensation payment documents, and told residents that WIN had arranged for pro bono legal representation for families seeking justice over the disaster.

  • Ervin Jacobs of Potters Remanded on Ammunition and Cannabis Charges

    Ervin Jacobs of Potters Remanded on Ammunition and Cannabis Charges

    A high-stakes law enforcement operation targeting illegal activity in Antigua and Barbuda has led to a Potters Village man being placed in pre-sentencing custody following guilty pleas on weapons and narcotics charges, law enforcement officials confirmed this week.

    In an official media statement released Wednesday, 26 August 2026 by the Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM) of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, 52-year-old Ervin Jacobs of Potters Village was ordered remanded to His Majesty’s Prison after entering his pleas before the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 25 August.

    Jacobs faces five total charges connected to a police raid carried out just two days earlier, on 23 August, in his home neighborhood of Potters Village. The charges include unlawful possession of seven rounds of .22LR ammunition, two counts of unlawful cannabis possession (totaling 114 grams split into 56-gram and 58 gram batches), and two additional counts of cannabis possession with intent to distribute the controlled substance.

    During his court appearance before Chief Magistrate Emanuel, Jacobs entered guilty pleas to three of the five counts: the unlawful ammunition possession charge, and both simple cannabis possession charges. He maintained a not guilty plea on the two charges alleging he intended to sell the seized cannabis. Prosecutors formally accepted Jacobs’ mixed plea arrangement, and the judge ruled to remand him to state custody ahead of his scheduled sentencing hearing on 14 September.

    The operation that led to Jacobs’ arrest is part of an ongoing island-wide law enforcement initiative dubbed Operation “Restore Confidence,” which focuses on rooting out illegal contraband and reducing violent and drug-related crime across Antigua and Barbuda. In the wake of the arrest, the Royal Police Force reaffirmed its long-term commitment to pro-active, intelligence-driven operations that remove illegal firearms, ammunition, and controlled substances from local communities, with the core goal of upholding public safety and reducing harm to residents.

    The arrest marks the latest milestone in the force’s sustained anti-crime push, with law enforcement officials noting that operations targeting illegal weapons and drug trafficking will continue across the country in the coming months as part of the Restore Confidence initiative.

  • Portsmouth Tissue Culture Laboratory strengthens Dominica’s agricultural capacity

    Portsmouth Tissue Culture Laboratory strengthens Dominica’s agricultural capacity

    The Caribbean island nation of Dominica is making a strategic investment in long-term agricultural stability via its state-of-the-art Tissue Culture Laboratory based in Portsmouth, a facility that is transforming local farming output and disaster readiness. Capable of generating over 500,000 disease-free, high-quality plant specimens annually, the lab directly addresses a longstanding gap in the local agricultural supply chain by expanding consistent access to robust, healthy planting material for smallholder and commercial farmers across the island. Beyond boosting routine production, the facility is designed to dramatically strengthen the overall resilience of Dominica’s farming sector, which has long faced threats from climate-driven extreme weather events.

    Speaking at a post-Budget town hall gathering hosted in the community of Loubiere, Roland Royer, Dominica’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, outlined the far-reaching benefits of the laboratory and its impact on both industry development and local employment. A key, often overlooked highlight of the initiative is that the entire operation is staffed and led by young, skilled Dominican professionals. These specialists gained cutting-edge technical expertise through specialized training programs overseas, fully funded by the Dominican government, creating a circular model that empowers local talent while driving national agricultural progress. After completing their training, the young experts returned to their home country to apply their skills to advancing the domestic agriculture sector.

    A core secondary function of the facility that underscores its role in national climate resilience is its purpose-built secure seed storage infrastructure, which delivers critical disaster-preparedness value to the island. Minister Royer emphasized that this controlled storage capacity guarantees that irreplaceable critical planting material will remain protected and accessible, even in the aftermath of catastrophic weather events. When hurricanes or other natural disasters — recurring hazards for small island developing states like Dominica — damage existing crops and destroy local seed stocks, the lab can rapidly deploy its stored and pre-grown healthy planting material to speed up the recovery of the country’s agricultural sector, helping farmers get back to production far faster than would otherwise be possible.

  • Caregiver respite on health reform agenda

    Caregiver respite on health reform agenda

    As Barbados undertakes a major overhaul of its mental health and elderly care systems through the $175 million Health Services Resilience Programme, expanding respite care and community support for unpaid family caregivers has emerged as a core policy priority. The commitment was confirmed during a public consultation hosted jointly by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Inter-American Development Bank at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Monday evening.

    Responding to concerns raised by Kyla Branch, executive board member of the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Arthur Phillips highlighted that caregiver support is now woven into ongoing discussions across the broader mental health reform agenda, and will be a key topic when stakeholders convene to plan the second phase of the new Geriatric Hospital at Waterford.

    Branch drew policymakers’ attention to the heavy, often unrecognized burden shouldered by informal family caregivers, who provide the vast majority of daily care for people living with dementia and other chronic mental health conditions. She stressed that as Barbados’ population ages, dementia can no longer be sidelined in public health planning, arguing that the neurodegenerative condition must be classified and addressed as a non-communicable disease (NCD) that requires early preventive action, rather than waiting for late-stage specialist intervention.

    “We have to put preventative measures in place,” Branch said during the consultation. “We didn’t focus a lot in terms of NCDs particularly today, but I also want to urge everyone to recognise that dementia is an NCD. We can’t just wait for the specialist intervention.”

    Branch also called for caregiver needs to be integrated into the design of new healthcare infrastructure, noting that most public discussion has centered on construction and clinical outcomes while overlooking the impact of caregiving on family units.

    Dr. Phillips echoed many of Branch’s points, explaining that the overarching goal of the reform is to enable people requiring care to stay in their own homes and familiar communities for as long as medically possible, a model that delivers better outcomes for patients. When people can remain in supported community settings with periodic short-term respite stays for caregivers to rest, that arrangement benefits both patients and their families, he argued.

    “Where people can stay in the community with supports, where they can come into a facility to allow respite, where their family members can have support, that is better for everyone, including for the client,” Phillips said. “Remaining in familiar surroundings could also reduce the likelihood of patients becoming confused or getting worse.”

    He added that caregiver support is not limited to the Roseville Halfway House facility, but is being integrated into the entire community-focused restructuring of Barbados’ mental health system. Dr. Phillips also reaffirmed the government’s broader commitment to expanding care delivery in community and primary care settings, where early intervention can alter disease progression and improve long-term management for chronic conditions.

    Consultant Leisa Perch clarified that caregiver needs are already being incorporated into the environmental and social assessment phase of the Health Services Resilience Programme, extending beyond just recognition of their care work to address practical needs such as ongoing access for family members to their loved ones receiving treatment. These considerations are already shaping the design of new healthcare facilities, the development of emergency protocols, the design of support systems, and the integration of digital health tools into the programme.

    Perch emphasized that the programme’s goal is to center caregivers as core participants in the care process, rather than treating them as afterthoughts. She also noted the critical need to distinguish between paid professional caregivers and the large group of unpaid informal family caregivers, a population that is often overlooked in public health planning. “It is sometimes the… group that we forget,” Perch said.

    Dr. Phillips also confirmed that public health leaders agree with Branch’s framing that dementia prevention and management is tightly linked to broader NCD control efforts, aligning the government’s approach with the call from Alzheimer’s Association leaders.