The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the swine influenza outbreak to near pandemic status. “Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5,”  WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan told a briefing Wednesday. WHO [...]

You may have seen the movie The Barber Shop, or, maybe you haven’t! But there are very few Caribbean nationals who, upon hearing the words barber shop, hairdressing parlour or beauty salon, don’t immediately think of Saturday morning or late evening gossip, with tongues wagging faster than the snip of sharp scissors. Whether the information [...]

Caribbean governments have been urged to provide financial support for the Regional Coordinating Mechanism of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), at the opening in St Lucia of PANCAP’s twelfth meeting. Dominica’s Minister of Health and Chair of PANCAP, John Fabien, says he is firmly convinced that the time is opportune for [...]

The Caribbean is not fully prepared if the deadly influenza virus breaks out in the region – an occurrence that heath officials say could happen by 2010. As a result a number of organizations including the University of the West Indies (UWI) are working together to host a Caribbean Community Pandemic Influenza Workshop in Kingston, [...]

Avian (bird) flu is caused by influenza, a virus that occurs naturally among birds. There are different subtypes of these viruses because of changes in certain proteins (hemagglutinin [HA] and neuraminidase [NA]) on the surface of the influenza A virus and the way the proteins combine. Each combination represents a different subtype. All known subtypes [...]

How do you fight hypertension, ward of a hex and flavour food all in one breath? “Bam! gawlic,” Emeril Lagasse, the American celebrity chef would probably say while serving you up his Garlic Schmeared Rosemary Chicken.In fact in one of his Emeril Live TV episodes “Gotta Have Garlic”, he celebrates his love for garlic, garlic, [...]

The  The Pan-Caribbean Regional Partnership on HIV/AIDS, PANCAP, recently unveiled its five-year work programme with six priority areas that will define its approach to tackling HIV/AIDS in the region.”We will seek to provide an enabling environment that fosters universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services, continue to expand our coordinated multi-sectoral response [...]

In a provocative challenge to traditional assumptions, a high-powered team from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince will arrive in Canada next week. They will have detailed discussion with AIDS organisations in Vancouver, to help both cities tackle HIV-AIDS more effectively. “For years, foreign experts have descended on Haiti ,” says Jon Tinker of the Panos Institute of [...]

Mangoes in various shapes and sizes from Mexico and Costa Rica on the Canadian market. (Matt Lee photo) Recently, a man gave orders to cut down a mango tree (botanical name Magnifera Indica) estimated to be approximately 35-years old while at its peak of production, last  mango season. The first thing that comes to mind [...]

Turmeric, of the ginger family, is grown in many parts of the Caribbean. Turmeric, an Asian spice found in many curries, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain, but can it prevent diabetes? Since inflammation plays a big role in many diseases and is believed to be involved [...]