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A Ministry of Health nursing assistant is wanted by the police for allegedly creating public mischief and attempting to pervert and obstruct the course of justice by claiming that she was present at the post-mortem examination of the body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge. A woman’s voice is heard on the recording claiming that “Frank” told ...

Santo Domingo.- In response to widespread flooding caused by heavy rains across multiple provinces, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Public Health (MSP), through its Epidemiology Directorate (DIEPI), issued a series of health recommendations to prevent disease outbreaks in affected communities.

Citing alerts from the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the ministry warned of increased risks of diseases such as leptospirosis, cholera, dengue, respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Key precautions include avoiding contact with contaminated water, using protective gear like gloves and boots, eliminating mosquito breeding sites, drinking only safe or treated water, thoroughly cooking food, and frequent handwashing.

The ministry also urged residents to seek medical help for symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or muscle pain and to avoid self-medicating. Health personnel are instructed to report any rain-related health incidents through the national surveillance system. Special warnings were issued to parents to keep children away from floodwaters and to those with preexisting conditions to keep medications accessible in case of evacuation.

Resources were swiftly mobilised to investigate the recent discovery of dead fish and discolouration of seawater in Calivigny Harbour

View the full post Marine disturbances in Calivigny Harbour on NOW Grenada.

GFNC encourages parents and caregivers to gradually replace processed snacks with said ingredients with healthier, real-food alternatives as snack options

View the full post Some snacks and hyperactivity: Is there a link? on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo.- The Medellín Health City Cluster has expressed interest in establishing partnerships with Dominican health sector organizations and leaders, aiming to enhance medical tourism between both countries. Currently, around 4% of the 11 million tourists visiting the Dominican Republic seek medical services.

Cluster manager Mónica Sánchez noted that the alliance would promote mutual benefits, including knowledge exchange, shared best practices between health centers, and improved patient care. She highlighted the Dominican Republic’s well-trained medical professionals and visionary leadership as strengths for forming a successful collaboration.

Sánchez emphasized Medellín’s capacity to contribute with its high-complexity health centers and praised the Dominican Association of Health and Wellness Tourism (ADTS), under Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, for its role in positioning the country as a leader in medical tourism.

Santo Domingo.- The National Observatory for Consumer Protection (ONPECO) has voiced strong support for a Ministry of Public Health resolution that promotes the implementation of Front-of-Pack Nutritional Warning Labels (EFAN) in the Dominican Republic. According to ONPECO, this measure is essential to uphold citizens’ right to know what they are consuming and to make informed choices that may reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.

The organization stressed that EFAN does not require companies to change product formulas, but simply aims to provide clear information so consumers can decide for themselves. ONPECO criticized the resistance to the initiative, noting that it mirrors successful policies in other Latin American countries like Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, where no economic or employment impacts have been recorded.

Citing a study by the Healthy America Coalition (CLAS), ONPECO addressed and dismissed myths promoted by some industries—such as claims that WHO/PAHO nutrient standards are too strict or that EFAN harms the economy. It reaffirmed that the WHO guidelines are science-based and that transparent labeling aligns with global standards like ISO 26000 on corporate responsibility and the OECD’s calls for clear food information.

Finally, ONPECO urged broad dissemination of the resolution, reiterating that the Dominican State is constitutionally obligated to protect public health and ensure consumers’ right to accurate product information.

The lack of early autism screening in Barbados remains a major concern, according to the President of the Barbados Autism Association, Frank Johnson, who hopes that public events like the Autism Heroes Walk will help raise awareness and drive change.

“The main challenge is getting screening for the children early enough. A child should really be screened at three years old. It’s a little difficult screening before three, but if a child has missed developmental milestones . . . you really should become aware that there may be a challenge involved,” Johnson said on Monday, as over 200 men, women, and children took part in the annual Autism Heroes Fun and Wellness Walk and Cool Down Fair.

Beyond early diagnosis, Johnson pointed to other issues, including the absence of reliable national data on autism.

“We don’t have strict numbers here in Barbados,” he explained. “There has not been what I call a census taken of the exact number of children with this disability.

“The last national census that was done… it didn’t focus on a particular developmental challenge, which I think it should do.”

He also highlighted a critical shortage of trained professionals, saying: “We do need more specialists. We need more occupational therapists, and speech therapists or speech and pathology specialists. They do a fantastic job, but they are oversubscribed.”

However, for many families, the cost of private screening and therapy remains a heavy burden.

“A lot of our parents have to pay privately for consultants to carry out screening and testing . . . . Getting it done privately is expensive . . . but as I say to parents out there: think of it as an investment in your child’s future.

“A lot of young parents . . . have no idea what they’re up against . . . except that they know there is something wrong. They go to their GP or the polyclinic and report that their child is missing the developmental milestones.”

To address these challenges, Johnson said the association is working on forming partnerships that would make screening more affordable.

“In the near future, possibly working with insurance companies to provide support grants to parents who cannot afford the intervention. If we can swing that towards those groups in the next couple of years, we will be making fantastic strides.”

In addition to those efforts, the association is preparing to expand its physical presence. A new headquarters in the Garrison area is currently being renovated, which Johnson hopes will become a hub for affordable, accessible support and therapy.

“We are just about to finish our renovated building, which has been granted to us by the government,” he said. “We’ve taken out a lease for ten years, with a renewable ten years, just around the corner from the Barbados Council for the Disabled.

“We hope to go into partnership with speech therapists and occupational therapists to be able to offer subsidised programmes. We do see ourselves as providing many different answers . . . for all income brackets.”

He added that the association is launching new initiatives to support those families emotionally and mentally. (LG)

The post Lack of early autism screening a major concern, says association head appeared first on Barbados Today.

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Almost all eligible persons in Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) have taken the vaccine that protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said Sunday. “I was just in Region Nine a day ago (Saturday) and I was talking to the people there and I was ...