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World Health Organization Declares Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
#Providenciales, July 25, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – On July 17, 2019 World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This declaration followed a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for EVD in the DRC, the Committee cited recent development in the outbreak in its recommendations, including the first confirmed case in Goma, a city of almost two million people on the border of Rwanda and the gateway to the rest of DRC and the World.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was declared on August 1, 2018, almost 1 year ago. The outbreak has been classified as a level 3 emergency –The most serious.
Ebola virus is a viral hemorrhagic fever. It is a severe and often fatal disease. The virus originated in the Central Africa rain-forest and is thought to have spread to humans by handling or butchering of infected animals such as monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelopes, porcupines or bats.
Ebola then spreads through human to human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with
- Blood or body fluids of a a person who is sick or has died from Ebola
- Objects that have been contaminated with body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit) from a person sick with or the body of a person who died from Ebola.
The incubation period; that is the interval from infection with the virus to the onset of symptoms is from 2 – 21 days. A person infected with Ebola cannot spread the disease until they develop symptoms.
Symptoms of Ebola can be sudden and include;
Fever
Muscle Pain
Sore Throat
Fatigue
Headache
This is followed by;
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash
Symptoms of impaired kidney and liver functions, in some cases both internal and external Bleeding. An experimental Ebola Vaccine prove highly protective against Ebola in Major trials in Guinea in 2015
Ebola virus is not spread through food or water.
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Sports, and Human Services on the advice from the World Health Organization and Caribbean Public Health Agency will be stepping up its border surveillance at our air and sea ports.
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Sports, and Human Services are liaising with regional and international partners regularly to receive updates. Although travel to the affected region is not restricted, the Ministry strongly discourages non-essential travel at this time because of the extent of the current virus outbreak.
In addition, we would like to advise all persons with a history of recent travel to the affected country be aware of the symptoms and signs of ebola and report to their healthcare providers early if they develop symptoms within three weeks of traveling. We also encourage the general public to take the following precautions:
- Practice good personal hygiene at all times
- Be aware of the risk factors of EVD (travel to affected countries, contact with bodily fluids of affected persons)
- Be aware of the symptoms and signs of EVD and seek medical advice early
The Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human Services will be hosting stakeholder meetings in the near future in addition to making plans and preparations in response to the threat of Ebola. Updates on the Ebola virus disease will be shared with the general public as the situation develops. For additional information please contact Miss. Charlene Higgs, Director of Health Disaster, Education and training at extension 338-3064.
Release: TCIG
May 11, 2024 – Mother’s Day has a rich history that dates back to ancient times when Greeks and Romans held festivals to honor mother goddesses. However, the modern Mother’s Day as we know it originated in the early 20th century.
The official Mother’s Day holiday in the United States was first proposed by Anna Jarvis in 1905, as a way to honor her own mother
who had passed away.
Her efforts led to the first Mother’s Day celebration in 1908, organized by her at a church in West Virginia. The holiday gained popularity quickly, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a national holiday to honor mothers.
Since then, Mother’s Day has become a widely celebrated occasion around the world, with people expressing their love and appreciation for their mothers and mother figures through gifts, cards, and special gestures.
Mother’s Day is celebrated in various countries around the world, although the dates and traditions may differ. Among the many marking the celebration of mothers is the United States, Nigeria and United Kingdom (which had Mother’s Day in March), Canada, Australia, India, Mexico (marked Friday May 10), Brazil, Japan, South Africa and France (later this month May 26). These are just a few examples, as Mother’s Day is observed in many other countries as well, each with its own customs and traditions for honoring mothers and motherhood.
In the Caribbean, Mother’s Day is also marked with vim and vigor and reverence.
When you talk about island nations like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas, among others, all observe Mother’s Day with celebrations that often include special church services, family gatherings, and the giving of gifts and cards to honor mothers and mother figures.
Traditional foods and music may also be part of the festivities staged in the neighbourhood or huge family groups will flock to their favourite dining spots for brunch.
It is not unusual to see Mother’s Day concerts, national awards ceremonies and luncheons making it a striking and joyous occasion for families eager to show appreciation for the important women in their lives.
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