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JAMAICA: Additional $350 Million for Enhanced Vector Control Programme

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#Kingston, October 9, 2019 – Jamaica – Additional financing of $350 million is to be provided for the Enhanced Vector Control Programme to increase public relations activities and to coordinate the capacity for strengthened national response.

“The National Health Fund is providing additional financing… . This is to support the dengue outbreak response that is projected to run until December 2019,” Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said during a statement to the House of Representatives on October 8.

The funds are to be allocated to temporary worker employment, $189.5 million; Source reduction (bulky waste removal), $120 million; public education campaign, $30 million; and vector control intervention (including drum covers), $10 million.

Dr. Tufton said Jamaica is currently experiencing an outbreak of dengue fever. He informed that as at September 30, 2019, the number of suspected, probable and confirmed cases is 5,909. He noted that of the cases notified, the National Surveillance Unit in collaboration with the National Public Health Laboratory did prioritising for confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing at the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

“Cases of severe dengue and dengue-related deaths were given high priority. Of the 243 cases tested by PCR, 82 tested PCR positive for dengue; 76 of those were identified as DENV Type three, two were DENV Type 2 and four cases had low viral titres and the dengue type was not identified,” Dr. Tufton said.

The dengue virus has four different strains, DENV 1-4, and the source is the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito

The Minister noted that for the period January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, there were 135 suspected and confirmed dengue-related deaths, 47 cases in 2018 and 88 cases in 2019. Ten of these cases for 2019 occurred in September.

Dr. Tufton told the Lower House that the Ministry continues to be vigilant in its efforts to keep the public safe from vector-borne diseases, including dengue. He added that annually, October to January is the period where there is increased arbovirus activity.

“Since January 2019, the Ministry has intensified its dengue prevention and control activities, with a further intensification in July 2019 and again in September 2019. The Ministry has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate and report on the response activities related to the increasing numbers of dengue cases and since September 2019, activities have increased,” Dr. Tufton said.

“The response activities involve strengthening surveillance case management and vector-control management. Case management now reflects the updated clinical guidelines. The vector-control management strategy includes strengthening human resource capacity and supporting efforts to decrease the entomological indices for the Aedes aegypti mosquito islandwide,” he added.

Dr. Tufton said vector-control activities have intensified since July 2019, through increased numbers of community-based vector-control workers, with the engagement of 980 temporary workers, in addition to permanent staff; additional support to local governance systems for multisectoral activities and interventions; and intensified fogging activities in high risk communities and high risk institutions such as schools.

He further noted that since January 3, 2019, the Ministry’s Public Relations Unit has implemented a robust public education campaign, and additional activities continued and intensified in September 2019 with greater emphasis on early warning signs for severe dengue.

The Minister said there is continued re-sensitisation of clinical staff on dengue cases, both private- and public-sector physicians.

In addition, there is continued extended opening hours at selected health centres to facilitate increased access by patients requiring medical care across the island, with ongoing discussions to determine the need for additional capacity.

There is also ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and the National Solid Waste Management Authority to clear high-risk communities of accumulation of solid waste and the National Works Agency to clear drains in high-risk communities.

Contact: Latonya Linton

Release: JIS

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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