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Former Chief Medical Officer receives PAHO’s Public Health Hero of the Americas Award

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#Bahamas, May 04, 2018 – Nassau – Bahamian longtime healthcare professional, Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis received the Public Health Hero of the Americas Award from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) at a ceremony at Government House, Wednesday, May 2, 2018.  Dr. Dahl-Regis former Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the second Caribbean national and the first Caribbean woman to receive the prestigious award.

PAHO over the years has recognized Public Health Heroes for their invaluable contributions to public health in the Americas.  They come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and fields of work and share one common goal: improving the health and well-being of the peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

Prime Minister Dr. the Rt. Hon. Hubert Minnis said during her tenure as CMO, Dr. Dahl-Regis worked across technical and administrative boundaries to achieve the goals and objectives of the Ministry of Health.  He said Dr. Dah-Regis spear-headed the drafting of strategic plans for health services.

“She significantly strengthened maternal and child health care services.  This included initiatives to maximize MMR immunization coverage and more emphasis on adolescent health through the establishment of the Adolescent Health Centre.”

The Prime Minister said Dr. Dahl-Regis also made contributions in these areas of public health policy both regionally and globally, well-representing The Bahamas on the international stage.  He said she served on health-related committees of CARICOM and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Prime Minister explained that Dr. Dahl-Regis represented The Bahamas on numerous occasions as a delegate at conferences of PAHO and the World Health Organization (WHO).  She served on the executive board of WHO.   She served as a member and chair of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and as a member of the Immunization Safety Committee.

Additionally, she has chaired the Independent Review Committee of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) which supports vaccine procurement through PAHO’s Revolving Fund.

The PM said in 2009, in recognition of her record of service, Dr. Dahl-Regis was the recipient of the PAHO Award for Administration.  He said after her retirement as Chief Medical Officer, she worked as Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Health and as the Registrar of The Bahamas Medical Council.

“She continues to bring her knowledge and skills to bear on various aspects of public health and continues to mentor younger physicians.”

The Director of PAHO, Dr. Clarissa Etienne said the award is not bestowed lightly.  Dr. Etienne said Dr. Dahl-Regis’ list of accomplishments is long, “indeed they are historic milestones in the annals of public health in the Americas.”

Dr. Dahl-Regis said her award was for all of the healthcare expert staff both national and international who toil in the field, risk or lose their lives and who often endure conflict situations, all to protect the lives of many, including children born and unborn.
By: Llonella Gilbert (BIS)

Photo Caption: Dr. Etienne (left) presents PAHO’s Public Health Hero of the Americas Award to Dr. Dahl-Regis.

(BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

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RTCIPF Observes World Down Syndrome Day

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On March 21st, 2024, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force joined the international, regional and local communities in observing World Down Syndrome Day. 

Officers showed their support by wearing brightly coloured and mismatched socks to raise awareness. 

The head of the Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police Grantley Williams, Training Manager Mrs Odessa Forbes and Media Relations Officer Denyse Renne visited the SNAP Centre and interacted with the students.

In a message to the TCI community, the RTCIPF noted that stereotypes perpetuate stigma and hinder inclusion, preventing individuals from reaching their full potential. 

Instead, the RTCIPF calls for individuals to foster an environment of acceptance and support where everyone is valued for who they are. 

By breaking down barriers and challenging misconceptions, we can create a more inclusive society where individuals with Down Syndrome are empowered to live fulfilling lives and contribute meaningfully to their communities and, by extension, the TCI. 

As law enforcement officers, we must protect and serve all members of society, regardless of their abilities. 

Let’s work together to ensure that individuals with Down Syndrome are treated with dignity and respect and that their rights are upheld.

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CARICOM speaks out on Climate Change, looking to May meeting to amplify call for Climate Funding

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March 3, 2024

 

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) remains on the frontlines of global climate crisis, an issue the Region has been aggressively advocating on for the past thirty years. Despite the many commitments and promises of international partners, the window of opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is rapidly closing.

Heads of Government are concerned that while COP 28 was widely regarded as a historic event, with the completion of the first global stocktake (GST), on progress in achievement of the Paris Agreement goals, the outcomes of GST show that emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise and the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of Parties will not keep global temperatures below the 1.5 degree goal enshrined in the Paris Agreement.

Heads of Government also expressed concern to be heading to COP 29 where a New Finance Goal will be articulated to replace the 100bn goal, which has not yet been met, even as developing countries require trillions to deal with the escalating impacts of climate change. Developed country parties have not provided enough finance at scale, technology and capacity building support required to help developing countries tackle their pressing needs to build their resilience, especially in adapting to the adverse and increasingly catastrophic impacts of climate change. The clear absence of definitive timelines for action and quantitative commitments for scaling up of investments, and particularly adaptation finance emerging out of COP 28, cause great concern to our Region.

The Conference noted that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), recognized as the most vulnerable group of countries and a special case for sustainable development, have been facing strong push back against the recognition of their special circumstances especially in the context of climate finance. There is limited international support for special allocations for SIDS within financing arrangements and available climate finance from international and private sources is limited, expensive and too onerous to access.

In light of the preceding, Heads of Government called for CARICOM to take a strategic, unified and coordinated approach to ensure that the Region remains influential in the climate and development arena through engagements with key partners and advocacy groups.

They called for renewed focus by the Region to advocate for inclusion of forests, nature-based solutions and blue carbon into market mechanisms with the aim of articulating clear regional positions and strategies.

Heads of Government reiterated the call for improved readiness programmes, simplified approval procedures, a change to the criteria for determining access to low-cost finance, and for the adoption of programmatic approaches to address the bottlenecks in accessing finance.

The Region reiterates its support for the Bridgetown Initiative’s call to expand capital adequacy of international financial institutions.

Heads recognized that the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, scheduled to be held in Antigua and Barbuda, 27 – 30 May 2024, will be an inflection point for many of these discussions to be articulated. As such, the Region remains committed to participating in the Conference at the highest level.

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South Caicos Development Plans shared with Washington-Misick led Administration

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On Monday, 12 February 2024, the Premier led a delegation to tour the island of South Caicos to view the ongoing public and private sector projects, involving the remodelling and rebranding of the airport terminals, historical districts, and the East Bay Hotel.

The tour of the various developments reinforced the Government’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to boost the island’s activity and economy.

Photos courtesy of the TCI Office of the Premier

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