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The Breast is Best

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#Jamaica, September 21, Kingston – Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, has reiterated calls for mothers to consider exclusive breastfeeding of their babies for the first six months of life in order to reduce infant mortality and morbidity rates.   He noted that appropriate breastfeeding practices have the potential to lower infant mortality in children five years old and younger by 14 per cent, while appropriate complementary feeding up to two years of age can prevent an additional six per cent of deaths among the age cohort.

The Minister, who was addressing the National Breastfeeding Week conference and launch at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Tuesday (September 19), said the target is for 50 per cent of infants to be exclusively breastfeeding at six months of age.   He noted that in 2005, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at six months was 15.1 per cent, increasing to 23.8 per cent in 2011.

“However, this is still well off course to meet the Global Nutrition Target of at least 50 per cent by 2025,” he said.

Dr. Tufton said Jamaica is committed to reducing infant mortality and morbidity, and has agreed to, or has endorsed several international agreements and goals that are aimed at promoting and protecting infant and young child health.   He said that gains are being made, but there is still much work to be done to achieve the targets. He is urging persons to become informed about the benefits of breastfeeding.

Research has shown that breastfeeding helps to reduce the risk of childhood asthma and obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life, such as diabetes and heart disease.   Long durations of breastfeeding also protect maternal health by helping to lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Winston De La Haye, said National Breastfeeding Week is being observed from September 17 to 23 under the theme ‘Sustaining Breastfeeding Together’ and emphasises that “all sectors, all groups have a role to play in supporting breastfeeding”.

He said the objectives of the two-day conference are to highlight the role of infant and young child feeding in the achievement of the sustainable development goals, share current elements of the benefits and impact of breastfeeding and effective strategies for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.

It is in keeping with World Breastfeeding Week 2017, observed by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in August through partnership with World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with civil society groups.

Also at the launch were  Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO Representative in Jamaica, Bermuda and Cayman Islands, Dr. Noreen Jack; UNICEF Representative in Jamaica, Mark Connolly; and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Dr. Gillian Smith.

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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