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  • ‘A life well lived’: Friends, colleagues remember Dhiru Tanna’s quiet impact

    ‘A life well lived’: Friends, colleagues remember Dhiru Tanna’s quiet impact

    On April 27, more than 40 corporate directors, alongside close friends and long-time colleagues, convened at the Jamaica National Group (JN Group) headquarters to celebrate and pay tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Dhiru Tanna, the organization’s late deputy chairman. Dr. Tanna passed away on April 14 at the age of 82, leaving behind a decades-long legacy of leadership that spanned business, public service and academia. The memorial gathering drew a roster of prominent figures from across Jamaica’s private and public sectors, including former Jamaica Olympic Association president Michael Fennell, attorney-at-law Monica Ladd, Blue Power Group chairman Jeffrey Hall, JN Group director and Office of the Prime Minister Permanent Secretary Ambassador Rocky Meade, former Cabinet Secretary Dr. Carlton Davis, Wisynco Group chairman William Mahfood, and retired KPMG managing partner Tarun Handa.

    In the solemn, intimate gathering, attendees reflected on the profound, far-reaching impact Dr. Tanna had on both the JN Group and the wider Jamaican community. Consistent themes emerged from every tribute: widespread admiration for Dr. Tanna’s sharp intellectual depth, unflappable judgment, and rare humility that shaped organizational decisions and nurtured generations of leaders over his decades of service. Tributes painted a portrait of a leader who mastered strategic planning, corporate governance, and people management, and who remained deeply committed to the core mission and inclusive culture of the JN Group. To those who served alongside him, Dr. Tanna was far more than an executive: he was a trusted mentor, a confidant, and a dedicated Jamaican patriot whose quiet wisdom carried unmatched weight in every discussion.

    Elizabeth Ann Jones, current chairman of the JN Group, recalled her first introduction to Dr. Tanna in Jamaica’s private sector, where she immediately recognized his extraordinary breadth of knowledge and sharp business acumen. Later, when the two served together on the board of the Jamaica National Building Society, Jones came to rely on Dr. Tanna as the consistent voice of reason amid tense board deliberations. “He was a steady presence who shared his knowledge, expertise and foresight during countless board discussions,” Jones noted.

    Earl Jarrett, JN Group chief executive officer, who collaborated with Dr. Tanna for more than 30 years, shared how he repeatedly benefited from Dr. Tanna’s thoughtful guidance over the decades. Jarrett described Dr. Tanna as a true polymath whose leadership extended across multiple Jamaican industries, noting that his unique abilities and forward-thinking vision helped numerous organizations navigate periods of transition and expansion. Colleagues across sectors regularly turned to Dr. Tanna for his broad range of knowledge and balanced perspective, Jarrett added.

    Longtime JN Group board member Peter Morris shared that he admired Dr. Tanna’s intellect and business sense from their very first meeting. Morris recalled that Dr. Tanna carried himself with quiet authority, balancing a deep commitment to delivering meaningful value and exceptional customer experiences for JN members with a relentless insistence on the operational discipline required to run an efficient, sustainable and profitable business. To Morris, Dr. Tanna was an elder statesman of the board and an invaluable mentor to many rising leaders, including himself.

    Parris Lyew-Ayee, chairman of the JN Foundation, highlighted another core trait that set Dr. Tanna apart: his deep respect for all people and their differing beliefs. A practicing Hindu, Dr. Tanna consistently encouraged fellow leaders to ground their own decisions in their personal values, rather than imposing his beliefs on others. Lyew-Ayee noted that Dr. Tanna’s sharp intellect, meticulous attention to detail, and calm confidence set him apart from the earliest days of his career. “He always seemed to be several steps ahead, quietly analysing, guiding and shaping outcomes with wisdom and clarity,” Lyew-Ayee said.

    Michael Fennell echoed these sentiments, describing Dr. Tanna as a man of quiet brilliance whose full depth was often only visible to those who had the privilege of working closely with him. Fennell emphasized that Dr. Tanna was an exceptional individual who carried his many accomplishments with profound humility, never seeking attention or praise, but leaving a lasting impact through his actions and his mentorship of young professionals. “[A] fantastic individual in every way, so unassuming, not pretentious in any way,” Fennell said. He added that Dr. Tanna’s greatest strength lay not just in what he knew, but in how carefully and thoughtfully he shared his knowledge with others.

    Former Cabinet Secretary Dr. Carlton Davis framed Dr. Tanna as an exceptional Jamaican whose intellect, humility, and wide-ranging contributions left an indelible mark on the entire nation. Davis noted that Dr. Tanna could not be confined to any single professional role: he excelled equally as an academic, a leading business executive, and a dedicated public servant. “He was a remarkable gift to Jamaica,” Dr. Davis said, adding that the country benefited immeasurably from Dr. Tanna’s choice to make Jamaica his permanent home.

    Keith Senior, assistant general manager at the JN Group, captured the deep personal and professional influence Dr. Tanna had on staff across all levels of the organization, saying he left “fingerprints on our souls.” Senior reflected on the widespread respect and admiration Dr. Tanna inspired across the company, noting that memories of him have become treasured keepsakes for colleagues. “There are people who simply pass through life, and then there are those who leave an indelible mark. Dhiru was one of those,” Senior said, portraying him as a towering figure whose influence stretched far beyond the walls of the boardroom.

    Dr. Laura Tanna, Dr. Tanna’s widow, offered a heartfelt note of gratitude to attendees for the outpouring of tributes to her late husband. She shared that hearing stories of his mentorship, friendship, and professional impact brought her renewed comfort during her time of grief, adding that the remarks from attendees revealed new dimensions of her husband’s life that she had not always witnessed firsthand. “Hearing how he has mentored people, hearing the stories of your friendship, it means a great deal to me,” she said.

  • Larry and The Mento Boys to re-release ‘Jamaica Farewell’ album in summer

    Larry and The Mento Boys to re-release ‘Jamaica Farewell’ album in summer

    In the vibrant landscape of Jamaican popular music, a beloved early classic is making a comeback: Larry and The Mento Boys’ 2013 album *Jamaica Farewell*, a collection of iconic mento tracks, is set to be reissued this summer by Tad’s International Record. The project anchors itself to the original *Hill And Gully*, a foundational mento standard that has recently seen new popularity as the inspiration for the viral Hill And Gully riddim from acclaimed dancehall producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, led by Masicka’s bold hit track Slip & Slide.

    The reissued *Jamaica Farewell* features 18 tracks, drawing heavily from the core mento songbook. Standouts include fan-favorite staples like the patriotic *Island In The Sun*, *Shame And Scandal*, *Big Bamboo*, and the album’s namesake *Hill And Gully*. Beyond traditional mento fare, the album also includes the band’s distinctive interpretations of three Bob Marley classics — *No Woman No Cry*, *Three Little Birds*, and *One Drop* — plus a cover of *Ma & Pa*, the track that first rose to fame through Trinidadian performer Lord Creator.

    Tad Dawkins, founder and leader of Tad’s International Record, shared the backstory of the re-release with Jamaica’s *Observer Online*. He explained he was first introduced to Larry and The Mento Boys by veteran broadcaster and performer Bob Clarke, who spent decades entertaining guests at tourist hotels across Jamaica’s St Ann and St Mary parishes, where he built a longstanding connection with the band.

    “There’s something timeless about mento that carries listeners back to simpler, earlier days, and the tracks on this album are genuinely great,” Dawkins said. “Even today, there remains a strong, dedicated market for authentic Jamaican mento music.”

    For many music scholars, mento holds the distinction of being Jamaica’s first commercially popular genre, laying the cultural and sonic groundwork for reggae and dancehall that would rise to global fame in later decades. The genre broke through to mainstream audiences across the 1940s and 1950s, driven by charismatic performers like Lord Flea, who earned enough international notoriety to appear on iconic U.S. variety programs including *The Perry Como Show*.

    Mento retained its place on Jamaican radio through the 1970s, even as roots-reggae dominated the national music scene, largely thanks to the work of legendary artist Stanley Beckford. Beckford scored multiple major hits with tracks like *Soldering* — which later received a high-profile cover from pop duo Hall and Oates — *Broom Weed*, and *Leave my Kiselo*, and he took home top honors at Jamaica’s Festival Song Competition on multiple occasions.

    In more recent decades, Portland-based group The Jolly Boys have led a renewed interest in traditional mento. Their 2010 album *Great Expectation* earned rave reviews from leading international outlets including *The New York Times*, and opened the door for the band to headline tour dates across the United States and United Kingdom, introducing the genre to a whole new generation of global listeners.

  • Sashamani rides as a Champion Jockey

    Sashamani rides as a Champion Jockey

    Kicking off May with a career milestone, veteran Jamaican recording artist Sasha, also known by her stage name Sashamani, has launched her highly anticipated new single titled *Champion Jockey*, crafted under the production direction of Javaughn Genius. The release comes as Sasha adds another win to a decades-long career that has left a lasting mark on global reggae and dancehall music.

    In a recent interview with Jamaica Observer, Sasha opened up about the personal and universal message woven into her latest track. *Champion Jockey* centers on the quiet battles many people face against negativity from close connections — colleagues, associates, even friends who harbor ill will and hope to see them stumble. “This is a song that deals with the daily fight and struggles we have with the very people we work with, eat with, and do business with. But, in spite of the bad mind and people wanting to see me fail, God is my strength and I know he holds the key to my destiny. Mi a champion jockey, ‘cause mi a God pickney,” she explained, framing the track as an anthem of faith-driven resilience.

    Sasha first rose to international prominence in the early 2000s through a string of well-received collaborative projects with iconic reggae artist Turbulence, including fan-favorite tracks *Want A Natty*, *We’ve Got The Love*, and *Don’t Wanna Be Alone*. Her biggest mainstream breakthrough arrived in 2003, when her duet *I’m Still In Love With You* with global pop-dancehall star Sean Paul became a massive hit across the United States. Decades later, the track continues to rack up industry accolades: the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the single gold in October 2024. The song is featured on Paul’s *Dutty Rock* album, which holds triple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

    Beyond her collaborative work, Sasha has built a legacy as a solo artist with standout releases that have shaped global popular music. Her solo track *Dat Sexy Body* became a cultural phenomenon on the international music scene, earning co-signs and interpolations from A-list stars including Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, and Zara Larsson, while the original recording also performed strongly on global charts.

    For *Champion Jockey*, Sasha says her greatest goal is for the track to connect deeply with listeners facing their own life challenges. She hopes the song will encourage audiences to recognize their own strength through faith, framing every resilient person as a “champion jockey” capable of outrunning adversity. The artist also shared that she ultimately hopes the uplifting anthem climbs to the top of global music charts.

    Reflecting on the evolution of Jamaican popular music since the 2000s, Sasha noted that while she embraces the natural progression of the genre, she believes classic dancehall and reggae from that era carried greater lyrical depth and lasting substance. She issued a message of guidance to the next generation of female Jamaican artists, urging them to center faith in their work and create purpose-driven music that will resonate with audiences for decades.

    Looking ahead to the rest of 2025, Sasha has a packed schedule of new releases and live performances in the works. Her manager George Whitehead, also known as Trouble, is partnering with event promoters to organize a regional tour covering the western United States and select Caribbean islands scheduled for the second half of the year. Sasha is also currently putting the finishing touches on her upcoming EP, with a second single titled *No Space* — produced by On The Spot Muzik — set to drop in the near future.

  • Britney Spears admits to reckless driving in plea deal

    Britney Spears admits to reckless driving in plea deal

    In a court resolution that closes one chapter of the pop star’s long-running public struggles, 44-year-old Britney Spears has accepted a plea deal that spares her from jail time after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving involving alcohol. The case stems from a March arrest in Ventura County, located just outside Los Angeles, where California highway patrol officers pulled the Grammy-winning singer over after observing her driving erratically along a local freeway.

    Originally, Spears faced a felony charge of driving under the influence, but prosecutors agreed to downgrade the charge to reckless driving involving alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both as part of the negotiated plea deal that was formally approved by Ventura County court on Monday. Following the hearing, Spears’ legal representative Michael Goldstein spoke to reporters outside the courthouse, confirming that the judge handed down a 12-month probation sentence to the singer.

    While Goldstein acknowledged that no defendant enters a guilty plea satisfied with the outcome, he noted that the resolution allows Spears to move past the legal entanglement, a result all parties involved are comfortable with. He also highlighted that prosecutors acknowledged the ongoing positive wellness steps Spears has taken in recent years to prioritize her mental and physical health.

    As core terms of the plea agreement, Spears is required to complete a court-monitored substance abuse education program and attend regular sessions with licensed mental health providers. Judge Matthew Nemerson additionally issued a standing order requiring that any controlled substances Spears possesses must be accompanied by a valid, up-to-date prescription from a licensed medical provider. Prosecutors have not released any public details regarding what substances were allegedly detected in Spears’ system during her arrest, and Goldstein declined to offer additional comment on that aspect of the case.

    Shortly after her arrest earlier this year, Spears’ representatives confirmed to U.S. entertainment outlets that the singer had voluntarily admitted herself to an in-patient rehabilitation facility to address wellness concerns. Monday’s court hearing marks the latest development in a decades-long trajectory of public and personal upheaval for the singer, who rose to global fame as the defining teen pop icon of the late 1990s.

    Spears’ debut single …Baby One More Time catapulted her to unprecedented commercial success in 1998, launching a career that produced dozens of chart-topping hits and sold-out world tours. In recent years, however, she has stepped back from the spotlight and largely retired from active recording and performing. Her career has been intertwined with well-documented personal challenges: following a very public 2007 mental health crisis, Spears was placed under a 13-year conservatorship controlled by her father Jamie Spears, which governed every aspect of her personal life, career, and financial assets, even during a years-long Las Vegas concert residency. After a massive international grassroots movement dubbed #FreeBritney built public support for ending the arrangement, a Los Angeles court formally terminated the conservatorship in 2021.

    In her 2023 bestselling memoir *The Woman in Me*, Spears publicly addressed long-standing rumors about substance use, writing that she never used hard illicit drugs and does not believe she has an alcohol use disorder. She did acknowledge that she had been prescribed Adderall, a common stimulant medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for years.

  • Wellness drive brings free health checks to St Andrew South police

    Wellness drive brings free health checks to St Andrew South police

    Jamaica’s frontline law enforcement officers, who daily put themselves in harm’s way to protect communities, are receiving targeted support to prioritize their physical and mental well-being through a new outreach initiative. Last Wednesday, active officers and their family members serving in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) St Andrew South Police Division gained access to comprehensive free health screenings at the Hunt’s Bay Police Station, designed to address the unique chronic stress and occupational hazards that come with policing work.

    Senior Superintendent Damian Manderson, head of the St Andrew South Division, emphasized that officers and civilian staff are the division’s most valuable resource, outranking any operational equipment or infrastructure. “Our human resources, our men and women you see standing at the traffic lights, conducting operations, driving and going about, they are our greatest asset, no matter how expensive the van they are driving is. This is a part of investing in them. It is a part of ensuring they are well,” Manderson told local outlet Jamaica Observer in an interview Friday.

    The initiative brings medical care directly to personnel to eliminate barriers to accessing routine check-ups, with built-in plans for follow-up care for any issues identified during screenings. “The push is to ensure their well-being by bringing in these doctors at their fingertips, at their beck and call so that they can get due care — and coming out of these visits come the follow-ups,” Manderson explained.

    St Andrew South Division operates in one of Jamaica’s more violence-impacted policing districts: between January 1 and April 20, 2025, the division recorded 18 of the island’s 174 total murders, marking the second-highest murder count across Jamaica’s 19 police divisions, trailing only St James Division which logged 22 murders in the same period. This high-crime environment places extraordinary physical and emotional strain on personnel, leading division leadership to roll out holistic support beyond just medical care.

    Earlier in the same week, the division hosted financial advisors from the police credit union to help personnel build long-term financial stability, covering critical topics such as budgeting amid economic uncertainty, retirement planning, caring for aging dependent family members, and the importance of adequate insurance coverage. “It is a part of our thrust as a management body to ensure that our staff, whilst they work, they are working with clear, competent, healthy minds and spirit, putting everything in it, and that is what will translate on the streets with a safer division,” Manderson said.

    He noted that policing is an inherently high-risk occupation worldwide, requiring officers to place themselves between violent criminals and law-abiding community members, leading to persistent high stress and emotional tension. “It is not just good enough for them to show up, they must show up physically and mentally. We take mental health serious,” Manderson added, highlighting that good mental health is a non-negotiable foundation for effective, safe policing.

    The wellness drive has been made possible through long-standing partnerships with volunteer medical professionals, including Dr Nagamalleswara Rao Chandolu, as well as the JCF’s in-house medical services branch, which provides ongoing support for officer and family well-being. Wednesday’s health fair is the first of two such free events planned for the St Andrew South Division in 2025, open to all sworn officers and unsworn civilian staff, plus their immediate families. Multiple medical specialists participated, including general practitioners, surgeons, pediatricians, and physiotherapists, to address a wide range of health concerns. All services, including complimentary vitamins, minerals, and medication prescriptions, were provided at no cost to attendees.

  • US downs Iran missiles and drones, destroys six of Tehran’s boats

    US downs Iran missiles and drones, destroys six of Tehran’s boats

    Fresh escalations in long-running tensions between the United States and Iran have spilled into open hostilities in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, with a top American military commander confirming that US forces shot down multiple Iranian missiles and drones, and destroyed a number of Tehran’s small attack boats. The violent confrontation unfolded just one day after former US President Donald Trump announced a new US-led maritime security initiative dubbed “Project Freedom,” designed to facilitate unimpeded commercial shipping transit through the chokehold that accounts for a huge share of global oil and gas exports.

    Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters on Monday that US Apache attack helicopters and Seahawk maritime helicopters targeted six Iranian small craft that were posing an active threat to commercial shipping transiting the waterway. Beyond the strikes on surface vessels, Cooper confirmed that US defense systems successfully intercepted and engaged every Iranian missile and drone launched toward both American naval assets and civilian commercial ships in the area.

    Cooper clarified the breakdown of the Iranian attacks: while a number of cruise missiles were fired directly at US Navy warships, the majority of Iranian munitions—including multiple drones—were aimed at civilian commercial vessels. “We defended both ourselves and, consistent with our commitment, we defended all the commercial ships,” Cooper said, outlining the core mission of the new initiative.

    Notably, former President Trump offered a slightly different account in a post to his Truth Social platform, claiming that seven Iranian boats had been struck. He added that as of his posting, most transits through the Strait had proceeded without incident, though he acknowledged that a South Korean-flagged vessel had been hit, offering no additional context or details on the damage or crew status of the ship.

    The latest clash comes in the wake of broader open hostilities that began in late February, when US and Israeli forces launched a joint military campaign against Iran. In response, Iran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, the vital chokepoint for global energy exports, and US forces subsequently implemented a naval blockade of Iranian port facilities.

    Earlier on Monday, Iranian state television reported that the country’s navy had launched cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones near US destroyers transiting the Strait, framing the action as a deliberate “warning shot” against American naval presence in the waterway.

    CENTCOM confirmed Monday that two American guided-missile destroyers had completed a transit through the Strait into the Persian Gulf as part of Project Freedom, while two US-flagged commercial merchant ships transited in the opposite direction and are now continuing their voyages without incident. Cooper pushed back against framing the initiative as a traditional escorted transit operation, explaining that the US military has assembled a multi-layered defensive posture instead of direct escorting.

    This defensive framework includes surface combatants, rotary-wing aircraft, fixed-wing fighter jets, airborne early warning systems, and electronic warfare capabilities, creating what Cooper described as a much more robust defensive network than standard point-to-point escort missions. Over the preceding two weeks, Cooper added, US forces used advanced, unspecified “exquisite technology” to clear a secure transit corridor through the Strait, and has now positioned the layered defensive “umbrella” to protect commercial traffic using the route.

    While the end goal is to establish a fully open two-way transit corridor, Cooper noted that the immediate priority is facilitating the exit of commercial ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since Iran closed the waterway. Data from global maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine shows that as of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were anchored or idling in the Gulf, waiting for access to open shipping lanes.

  • 10,000-strong turnout for Jill Stewart Mobay City Run brings tears to Silvera

    10,000-strong turnout for Jill Stewart Mobay City Run brings tears to Silvera

    The 10th edition of the Jill Stewart Mobay City Run, a beloved community running event renamed to honor the late wife of Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, concluded successfully on Sunday in Montego Bay, St. James, drawing more than 10,000 participants from across Jamaica and around the world to Howard Cooke Boulevard.

    In the competitive 5K races, local athlete Garfield Gordon crossed the finish line first in the men’s division with a time under 16 minutes, while Tracy-Ann Vernon claimed the women’s 5K crown in just under 24 minutes. For event founder and chair Janet Silvera, the overwhelming turnout far exceeded even her most optimistic projections, bringing an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.

    “I’ve watched this event grow steadily over the years, so I’ve come to expect strong community support, but even I was caught off guard by how many people turned out this year,” Silvera shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “When I looked out at the sea of participants from every background and corner of the globe, I was so moved I nearly cried. We had predicted we might hit the 10,000-participant mark, but we also knew last-minute changes could derail that goal. This year, everything came together perfectly, and the community showed up in a huge way for this cause.”

    Originally, the event set a fundraising target of JMD $10 million to support schools and tertiary students across western Jamaica whose education was disrupted when Hurricane Melissa struck in October last year. That total is already expected to climb higher, as Silvera confirmed multiple new corporate sponsors signed on to support the initiative less than 48 hours before the race kicked off, a testament to widespread stakeholder commitment to rebuilding western Jamaica’s education sector.

    Many local education institutions suffered catastrophic damage from the storm. Silvera highlighted the case of Maggotty High School, which was left devastated by the hurricane. Already, a JMD $2.5 million grant secured through the Digicel Foundation has been disbursed to the school, a contribution Silvera says will deliver tangible, immediate improvement to the school community. Another impacted institution, Herbert Morrison Technical High, is set to receive a $1 million grant, and one corporate sponsor has also committed to a long-term partnership with the school’s destroyed engineering department – a program that has produced some of the top engineering students in the region, many of whom have continued attending classes under temporary tents and trees while rebuilding efforts stall. For Silvera, this extended commitment is just as valuable as the one-day fundraising total, highlighting the long-term impact the event is designed to deliver.

    Beyond disaster relief, the event also invests in the future of outstanding young Jamaican athletes. Later this year, the Jill Stewart Mobay City Run will honor two rising Trelawny-based track stars – Holland High’s rising sprint prodigy Shanoya Douglas and William Knibb’s sprint star Sanjay Seymore – at its annual Champion of the West Awards. Silvera noted that these young athletes embody the key role that western Jamaican youth play in driving the entire country’s development.

    Unlike many one-off community races, the Jill Stewart Mobay City Run was built as a sustained initiative to lift up young people across western Jamaica. “This is not just a one-day event that we wrap up and walk away from,” Silvera explained. “We work with the region’s youth year-round because we know Jamaica’s future is in their hands. If we fail to step up as role models and fail to give them the support they need to build their own futures, we have failed as an organization. This event’s growth over 10 years shows that this long-term investment is already paying off, and it will continue to transform young lives for years to come.”

    At a recent cheque presentation, Maggotty High School Principal Sean Graham accepted the $2.5 million grant on behalf of the school, with Digicel Foundation chair Joy Clark and event organizer Janet Silvera in attendance to mark the milestone.

  • PAHO urges countries to invest in midwifery

    PAHO urges countries to invest in midwifery

    Ahead of Tuesday’s International Day of the Midwife, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) released a sobering assessment of midwifery systems across the Americas and Caribbean on Monday, highlighting widespread regulatory gaps that hold back life-saving maternal and reproductive care across the region.

    According to the UN health agency’s analysis, only 60% of countries in the region have a national regulatory body that clearly outlines the full scope of practice for professional midwives, and just half have implemented formal systems for regular license renewal and ongoing quality assurance. PAHO officials emphasize that these systemic gaps prevent regional health systems from unlocking the full potential of midwifery personnel, leaving millions without access to consistent, high-quality, respectful maternity care.

    At present, PAHO data collected through the National Health Workforce Accounts platform counts more than 78,000 active midwifery professionals across the Americas, translating to an average density of 3.5 midwives per 10,000 people. However, this regional average masks stark geographic inequities: subregions including Central America and many parts of the Caribbean report critically low midwife densities, ranging from just 0.1 to 13.5 per 10,000 people. PAHO notes these disparities highlight the urgent need to expand midwife training, improve equitable distribution of the workforce, and boost retention of professionals in underserved high-need areas.

    Despite these challenges, there are signs of progress across the region. Three-quarters of countries in the Americas now formally recognize midwifery as a distinct profession separate from nursing, a key milestone that paves the way for specialized education, greater professional autonomy, and clear regulatory frameworks that allow midwives to practice to the full extent of their training. Currently, 160 accredited professional midwifery training programs operate across the region, many of which have integrated modern digital learning tools, interprofessional education opportunities, and diverse clinical training settings to better prepare graduates. On average, 88% of these program graduates meet all core midwifery competency requirements, equipping them to deliver comprehensive care spanning sexual and reproductive health, pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care.

    PAHO is currently collaborating closely with member states to strengthen midwifery systems and the broader regional health workforce. The agency supports data-driven national workforce planning, the development and modernization of midwifery education and training curricula, and the advancement of clear regulation and formal professional recognition. It also prioritizes the integration of midwives into interprofessional health care teams, and promotes the adoption of evidence-based clinical guidelines to raise care standards, including the expansion of respectful person-centered maternity care.

    Benjamín Puertas, Unit Chief of Human Resources for Health at PAHO, emphasized that strengthening the midwifery workforce is a core strategic priority for the entire region. “Midwives are essential to expanding access to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and to ensuring continuity of high-quality services for women and newborns,” Puertas stated.

    PAHO officials stress that when midwifery personnel are adequately trained, fully supported, and properly integrated into national health systems, they can deliver up to 90% of all essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health interventions. Beyond improving pregnancy and birth safety, well-integrated midwifery also boosts broader public health outcomes including sexual health, adolescent health, disease prevention, and community-wide health promotion. Rooted in respectful, culturally congruent care that centers the unique social and community contexts of patients, midwifery also helps build long-term community trust in health services and advances broader health equity across populations. To unlock these benefits, PAHO is urging all regional governments to prioritize investment in midwifery as a foundational pillar of building resilient, equitable, people-centered national health systems.

  • Former Jamaica Observer employee to be honoured by Canadian city

    Former Jamaica Observer employee to be honoured by Canadian city

    A former staff member of Jamaica Observer, Simone Thomas, is set to receive one of Brampton, Canada’s highest civic honors: the Brampton Inspirational Citizen Award. The May 7, 2026 ceremony, hosted at a city event, will see Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown present the award to Thomas, with a roster of distinguished guests in attendance including Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada Marsha Coore Lobban, Jamaican Consul General to Toronto Kurt Davis, Howard Shearer (son of former Jamaican Prime Minister Hugh Shearer), and Bishop James Robinson of Faith Open Door Ministries.

    Before relocating to Canada to build her new life, Thomas built her career at Jamaica Observer, serving as executive assistant to the outlet’s editor-in-chief. Her journey to the award began in late October 2025, when Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, leaving widespread destruction, displaced families, and urgent unmet humanitarian needs in its wake.

    For Brampton’s large Jamaican diaspora community, the disaster was not a distant tragedy: many local residents had direct family and cultural ties to the impacted regions, and were grappling with anxiety, uncertainty, and a desire to help. Thomas, recognizing both the urgent need for aid and the diaspora’s desire to contribute, stepped forward to organize a coordinated response just days after the hurricane hit.

    She first reached out to the City of Brampton to secure dedicated public space for relief efforts, laying the foundation for the One Love Hurricane Melissa Relief Hub. Over the course of three months of continuous operation, the hub served as the central coordination point for all humanitarian donations going to Jamaica, drawing support from volunteers and donors across Brampton and the entire Greater Toronto Area. Local residents dropped off essential emergency supplies, from non-perishable food to hygiene products and building materials, while hundreds of volunteers sorted, packed, and prepared shipments for transport to impacted Jamaican communities.

    Beyond its role as a logistics hub, the One Love center filled a critical emotional gap for the Brampton diaspora. It provided a safe, inclusive space for community members to come together, share updates on missing or affected loved ones, and process the grief and anxiety that came with the disaster. According to the mayor’s office, Thomas personally maintained a constant, compassionate presence at the hub: she balanced the day-to-day work of coordinating operations with offering emotional reassurance to community members reeling from the disaster’s impact.

    What began as an impromptu community donation drive grew into a sustained, city-backed movement that left a lasting mark on both Brampton and the hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica. The citation for the award highlights that Thomas’s initiative turned grassroots goodwill into a structured, impactful response. Her leadership united diverse community groups, leveraged formal partnership with the municipal government, and strengthened Brampton’s long-standing culture of cross-community solidarity.

    “Simone’s leadership transformed what could have been a short-term donation drive into a sustained, city-supported community movement. The scale of participation, the duration of operations, and the continued conversations about its impact demonstrate the measurable and lasting difference she made,” the citation reads. “Her actions exemplify proactive civic leadership, cross-community mobilization, and compassionate service. Simone Thomas did not wait for direction, she created a structured response that united residents, leveraged municipal partnership, and strengthened Brampton’s spirit of solidarity. Her contribution embodies the true essence of the Brampton Inspirational Citizen Award.”

  • Amazon to provide delivery for any business, not just its own merchants

    Amazon to provide delivery for any business, not just its own merchants

    In a transformative move that is reshaping the global logistics industry, e-commerce and technology giant Amazon announced on Monday that it is opening its decades-old, sprawling shipping and delivery infrastructure to third-party businesses of all sizes — not just merchants that operate on the company’s own e-commerce platform.

    The newly launched offering, branded as Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), allows participating companies to outsource their entire end-to-end supply chain operations to Amazon, from transporting manufactured goods across international oceans to storing inventory in Amazon’s network of climate-controlled warehouses, and ultimately delivering finished products directly to consumers’ homes seven days a week. Major established consumer brands including Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End, and American Outfitters American Eagle have already finalized partnerships to integrate ASCS into their operations, signaling early industry confidence in the new service.

    Amazon framed this ambitious expansion as a parallel to the 2006 launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s game-changing cloud computing division that revolutionized the global tech sector. AWS was originally developed as an internal tool to handle Amazon’s own massive data storage and computing needs, before the company recognized the broader market demand and turned it into one of its most profitable business units, generating more than $80 billion in annual revenue today. Leadership at Amazon believes the same playbook will work for logistics: the company has already spent billions building out its delivery network for its own retail and marketplace operations, and now it can monetize excess capacity by opening the system to outside businesses.

    Prior to this launch, Amazon’s robust logistics capabilities were largely limited to sellers participating in Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), a program that lets third-party merchants selling on Amazon’s marketplace outsource packing, shipping, and customer service to the company. Since FBA launched in 2006, participants have shipped more than 80 billion items through the program, demonstrating the proven scale and reliability of Amazon’s operations. But until the launch of ASCS, businesses that sold through their own websites, brick-and-mortar stores, or other e-commerce platforms could not access Amazon’s logistics network.

    The entry of Amazon into the third-party logistics market sets up a new era of direct competition with established global shipping and delivery giants including UPS, FedEx, and DHL. The market reacted swiftly to the news on Wall Street: legacy logistics provider UPS saw its share price drop 10% by market close, while competitor FedEx fell 9% as investors priced in the increased competitive pressure. Amazon, by contrast, saw its own stock tick up around 1% on the announcement as investors reacted positively to the company’s new high-growth revenue stream.