View the full post On the passing of Dr Marguerite Joan Joseph on NOW Grenada.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UN health agency said it approved the dengue vaccine made by the Japanese pharmaceutical Takeda, recommending its use in children between six to 16 years old living in regions with high rates of dengue. The two-dose vaccine protects against the four types of dengue.

Takeda’s dengue vaccine, known as Qdenga, was previously given the nod by the European Medicines Agency in 2022.

WHO’s approval now means that donors and other UN agencies can purchase the vaccine for poorer countries.

Studies have shown Takeda’s vaccine is about 84% effective in preventing people from being hospitalised with dengue and about 61% effective in stopping symptoms.

WHO’s Rogerio Gaspar, director for the agency’s approvals of medicines and vaccines, said it was “an important step in the expansion of global access to dengue vaccines.” He noted it was the second immunisation the UN agency had authorised for dengue.

The first vaccine WHO approved was made by Sanofi Pasteur, which was later found to increase the risk of severe dengue in people who had not previously been infected with the disease.

There is no specific treatment for dengue, a leading cause of serious illness and death in roughly 120 Latin American and Asian countries. While about 80% of infections are mild, severe cases of dengue can lead to internal bleeding, organ failure and death.

Last week WHO reported there were 6.7 million suspected cases of dengue in the Americas, an increase of 206% compared with the same period in 2023. In March, authorities in Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency over its dengue epidemic and the country began rolling out the Takeda vaccine, aiming to inoculate at least three million people.

Last year WHO said cases of dengue have spiked tenfold over the last generation, with climate change and the increasing range of the mosquitoes that carry dengue partly to blame for the disease’s spread.

SOURCE: AP

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated a new vaccine against dengue, known as Japanese TAK-003, amid a significant surge in cases and fatalities from the epidemic spreading across Latin America.

Developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, the vaccine contains weakened versions of the four serotypes of the dengue virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

This marks the WHO’s endorsement of the second dengue vaccine, alongside the CYD-TDV vaccine from French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.

“We hope that more developers of dengue vaccines will step forward for evaluation, ensuring broader access for all communities in need,” stated Rogerio Gaspar, WHO Director of Regulation and Validation.

The new vaccine, requiring two doses administered three months apart, targets children aged 6 to 16 in high-risk areas with intense disease transmission.

Latin American countries, particularly Brazil, are grappling with their worst dengue outbreaks on record, surpassing 2,000 deaths this year. Argentina has reported 119 confirmed dengue fatalities, with 269,678 recorded cases as of April 14, according to the Argentine Ministry of Health.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) predicted a significant rise in dengue cases across the American continent in 2024, largely driven by global temperature increases and extreme weather events.

WHO has cautioned that dengue cases and fatalities are expected to rise further and spread geographically throughout the region.

Annually, dengue affects between 100 to 400 million people worldwide, with 3,800 million residing in endemic countries, primarily in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Source: EFE

View the full post Is the Caribbean ready for radical change in mental health? on NOW Grenada.

“Children in childcare centres are particularly vulnerable due to their close physical interactions and limited understanding of proper hygiene practices”

View the full post Increase in acute gastroenteritis cases on NOW Grenada.

There is likely to be minimal interruptions in some service areas, as management and staff from the 2 ministries will be engaged in professional development activities

View the full post Minimal service interruptions in 2 ministries on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo.- Dominican health tourism continues to solidify its position within our national brand and export portfolio. The combination of skilled medical professionals, cutting-edge technologies, and modern infrastructure paves the way for sustained growth. A recent example of collaboration in this endeavor is the inter-institutional agreement signed between Médico Express and Caribbean Health TPA to promote medical tourism and telemedicine.

Alejandro Cambiaso, executive president of Médico Express, and Rodolfo Núñez-Musa, medical director of Caribbean Health, disclosed that the agreement encompasses a range of services such as diagnostics, emergency care, specialized consultations, outpatient surgeries, ophthalmology, dentistry, orthopedics, pediatrics, and endoscopy, all accessible through Médico Express San Isidro’s international department.

Médico Express San Isidro stands out as an innovative outpatient health center, adhering to international standards, delivering high-quality medical services to both local residents and tourists.

Caribbean Health specializes in attracting patients from Caribbean islands to seek specialized medical care in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Núñez-Musa noted that over the past year, the company facilitated treatment for approximately one thousand patients from Turks and Caicos, Saint Martin, Bahamas, and other Caribbean nations.

Furthermore, as part of their strategy for remote patient care, recruitment, and monitoring, they have established Collaborative Telemedicine Centers (CTCs) across the Caribbean, providing assistance and second medical opinions, with collaboration from Médico Express.

The experts and signatories of the agreement emphasized that medical tourism in the Dominican Republic has seen steady growth year after year. This is attributed to the quality of services and the commitment to local training and international accreditation processes within member centers of the Dominican Tourism Association of Health (ADTS).

During the presentation of the awards at the Barbados Community College (BCC), Director of Corporate Banking, Barbados & OECS,CIBC Caribbean, Jeffrey Newton commended first-year student Rashawn Gibson, second-year student Kayli Jordan and third-year student Shannon Yarde for pursuing a career in nursing.

“It has to be a calling and a commitment to want to care for others the way nurses are called upon to do, and I commend the three of you, because in this fast-paced, technologically driven world today, it’s easy for young people to get caught up in the glitz and want to get in professions that are considered glamorous, and shun those that are not. That’s what we call nursing a calling… – you are there for people at their most vulnerable,” he said.

“Few people would see you on those nights when you are on duty and can’t sleep like the rest of us because you are taking care of sick people in your care, or dealing sometimes with an unpleasant side effect of people being ill, and worried. By enrolling in the Barbados Community College, you are giving a commitment to help others when they cannot help themselves, and that is a noble commitment.”

Director of Corporate Banking, Barbados & OECS, CIBC Caribbean, Jeffrey Newton. (HG)

The scholarships are each worth $2 000, and cover registration fees, books, and uniforms.

Newton said: “We are pleased to hear that all of the students that have been awarded to date, continue to maintain good GPAs and excellent overall performances, with the first group awarded in 2021 due to graduate this year. This is pleasing news for a sponsor.”

“This year, on advice from the college, the scholarships are distributed across the years of the programme. So we have a first-year, second-year, and third-year student; whereas in previous years they were awarded to all first-year students.”

Meanwhile, Head of the Nursing Department at BCC Dr Sonia Watson-Miller said she was pleased to see the scholarships continue.

“I am proud that this opportunity has continued since 2021. Our selection of the students was based on three categories, not only the academic performance but also their personality and any financial [assistance] that was needed. Our pass rate has been improving for the last five years, and last year we had the highest of 91 per cent. So our pass rate has been improving,” she said.

Gibson expressed gratitude that she was selected.

“I am truly honoured and never thought that I would be given this opportunity. It truly shows that hard work and dedication pays off, and it motivates me to continue to work harder and to make a difference in the field of nursing,” she said. 

“This scholarship will not only help to ease the financial burden, allowing students to focus mainly on their studies but also not to worry about the cost. I want to end my speech by encouraging more young persons, especially males, to get involved in the profession, as we need more persons in the field.” (SB)

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Breastfeeding mothers are advised to include a variety of foods in their daily diets, and increase their fluid intake or drink the recommended daily intake of water to stay hydrated

View the full post Nutrition and breastfeeding on NOW Grenada.

And the island’s top doctor has declared the COVID-19 pandemic that killed 650 Barbadians from more 100 000 cases is effectively over and the Ministry of Health has stopped vaccinating citizens.  

In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY on Monday, Dr Kenneth George said: “We have put surveillance systems in place. We have trained several persons not particularly in public health with respect to managing unusual outbreaks.”

With tourists expected from both traditional and non-traditional markets, Dr George highlighted the government’s concerns regarding certain non-COVID diseases.

“There are other diseases of public health concern which we are monitoring,” he said. “We have made sure that our Barbados Drug Service has the appropriate drugs
available for the treatment of any cases of tuberculosis, malaria…because, when people travel, they travel sometimes with the disease.”

Despite the anticipated influx of foreign visitors during the prestigious tournament, the chief medical advisor expressed optimism about the public health situation. 

He said the outlook for the World Cup “is good”. 

“I don’t expect any major outbreak of any serious disease,” he said, emphasising the importance of proper food handling practices “to protect the food source for Barbadians and visitors alike”.

In a new development, Dr George reported that while “a few” COVID-19 cases emerge occasionally, there is currently “no active” vaccine programme related to the virus. 

“We haven’t given AstraZeneca vaccine for about 18 months. There has been no AstraZeneca vaccine on the market in Barbados for a while. The COVID pandemic is over…we still get a few cases, and there is no active vaccine in Barbados for COVID at the moment.”  

This revelation comes after AstraZeneca’s decision to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine from further production, citing a shift in demand towards newer, updated vaccines due to the emergence of new variants. 

While the vaccine was estimated to have saved millions of lives from more than three billion doses, it has also been liked to rare, and sometimes fatal, blood clots.

Addressing the unavailability of COVID-19 vaccines in Barbados, Dr George explained: “We are not vaccinating people. The reason is that vaccines are very expensive, and the smaller markets were traditionally shut out. We had gotten a few offers of vaccine, but the vaccines were too close to the expiratory date; and we took a decision that we are not going to take vaccines from countries that wanted to offer vaccines to Barbados.”

The chief medical officer reiterated the ministry’s stance on administering only efficacious vaccines to Barbadians, considering factors such as expiry dates. 

“There are no [COVID] vaccines available in Barbados, period,” he declared.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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