health

March 19, 2015
777

Consumers need help to make more informed and healthier decisions – CCC

The Caribbean is facing an epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease1 . According to the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), unhealthy diets are a major contributor to the NCD epidemic. The agency reported that the typical Caribbean diet is characterised by an under-consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereals and legumes, coupled…
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March 18, 2015
1,084

CARICOM Competition Commission stresses healthy diets in fight against NCDs

Healthy diets consisting of foods high in nutritional value must be the first step to remedying the problem of NCDs in the Caribbean, the CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) said. In a statement to mark World Consumer Rights Day observed on 15 March, the CCC said that given the high prevalence of NCDs in the Caribbean, it was only fitting that this year’s…
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March 13, 2015
896

Promoting Healthy Weights in the Caribbean: Safeguarding our Future Development

Roseau, Dominica, March 12, 2015: The Caribbean is in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic, despite the fact that the health status of the Region’s children and young people has dramatically improved over the past decades. Statistics show that at least 1 in every 5 of our children carry unhealthy weights and risk developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), like diabetes…
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March 11, 2015
1,072

PANCAP and the Dominican Republic Commit to Strengthening the Partnership

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — Population Services International (PSI), Domincan Republic, organised a press conference this morning to share the work PANCAP is supporting in the Dominican Republic. Dereck Springer, Director of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), explained that the mission this week is to foster closer collaboration between the PANCAP and the Dominican Republic at the…
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March 3, 2015
880

Ministry Of Health Declares Chikungunya Epidemic Officially Over

A year after the first reported case of Chikungunya in January 2014 the Ministry of Health and Environment has declared the Chikungunya epidemic officially over as of January 23rd 2015. In an interview with Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Johnson on Thursday February 26th he explained that although the outbreak is over that does not mean that there are no cases on…
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February 25, 2015
848

Caribbean countries concerned over new strain of HIV/AIDS virus

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) – Caribbean countries were on Wednesday expressing concerns over a new strain of HIV virus that has been identified by Cuban scientists. The Ministry of Health here said that research indicates that this strain CRF19CPX develops much faster into full blown AIDS than previous strains of the virus, a statement from the Ministry said Wednesday. “Though…
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February 25, 2015
414

CARPHA Places Mosquito-borne Diseases as a High Priority in the Public Health Agenda

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, February 24, 2015. The emergence of the Chikungunya virus in the Caribbean in 2013, led to more than 800,000 suspected cases in the Caribbean and Latin America to date. The impact on health and the economies of the Region have been considerable, especially as a significant proportion of persons affected have long-term complications of…
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February 22, 2015
877

Chikungunya thrives with climate variability in Caribbean

Jenny had gone to bed feeling well, but an hour into her sleep she suddenly awoke with a “stiff, cramping pain” behind one knee. Within the next hour the pains had multiplied and both knees began to lock, followed by stiffened fingers and pains in her chest, along with a fever. Jenny Gittens, 61, described her experience with chikungunya over…
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February 18, 2015
891

Jamaica embarks on $54.4M measles prevention campaign

The Government is to spend $54.4 million to implement a Measles Prevention Campaign, which will run from February 16 to May 8, 2015. Ministry of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, made the announcement at a press briefing held on Monday, February 16 at Jamaica House. He informed that the money will be used to procure additional doses of the Measles…
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February 12, 2015
957

Region must boost surveillance to prevent measles outbreak – PAHO

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is urging health authorities in the Region to maintain high levels of measles vaccination coverage at the national and local levels, as part of efforts to prevent an outbreak of measles. PAHO issued an alert earlier this week that urged countries to strengthen measles surveillance activities and to “take appropriate measures to protect residents in…
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