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Jamaica: National Enhanced Dengue Intervention Program rolled out in St. Ann

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Montego Bay, 28 November, 2019 – Jamaica – The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), on Tuesday (November 26), commenced removing bulky waste from the parish of St. Ann under the National Enhanced Dengue Intervention Programme.

The Programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness across the island over the next three months at a cost of $1 billion, to support enhanced measures to contain the spread of the dengue virus.

Tuesday’s undertaking, which entailed the removal of multiple articles of bulky waste from the community of Standfast in Brown’s Town by NSWMA subsidiary North Eastern Parks and Markets (NEPM) Waste Management Limited marked the start of the initiative’s implementation in St. Ann.

The NSWMA’s Executive Director, Audley Gordon, who told JIS News that $167 million has been earmarked for this aspect of the programme, indicated that stakeholders at all levels across the parishes are being engaged.

“All the local health officials are [being] engaged. We are speaking with the municipalities, we are talking to community leaders and we are speaking with citizens whom we encounter to inform them that bulky waste [can facilitate] mosquito breeding,” he said.  

The Executive Director advised that the NSWMA’s staff will be working throughout the Christmas season to remove bulky waste and, in this regard, encouraged residents to place articles they have collected at appropriate locations for removal.  Mr. Gordon also appealed to individuals to take responsibility for the solid waste they generate.

“The Government of Jamaica, can and will do its part, the NSWMA must do its part, but [we as] residents must [also] do our part. We must properly containerise our garbage… so that it is not scattered everywhere, [as] that [will give rise to] problems with mosquitos, rats, flies and all the other things that we find offensive,” he emphasised.

For her part, Medical Officer of Health for St. Ann, Dr. Tamika Henry, indicated that “we are very happy with this partnership”, noting that the programme will aid in efforts to reduce mosquito breeding sites across the parish.  She advised that the parish’s vector control education programme has been ramped up, “because people need to understand what is happening, [ascertain] what they need to do and how they can assist us in preventing the spread of dengue”.

Dr. Henry also indicated that the St. Ann Health Department has been conducting home visitations to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites as well as enlighten residents on how to do same.

Other communities in the parish where similar clean-up activities are slated over the coming months include Watt Town, Lime Hall, Claremont, and their environs.

Under the National Enhanced Dengue Intervention Programme, which involves several other State agencies, the NSWMA has been tasked with ramping up the removal of solid waste, especially bulky waste, from communities.

Contact: Serena Grant

Release: JIS

Photo Captions:

Header: Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Audley Gordon, (right), highlights issues associated with bulky solid waste that is not properly containerised for disposal, to resident of Standfast in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Desmond Minto, during Tuesday’s (November 26) clean-up exercise in the community, which was conducted by North Eastern Parks and Markets (NEPM) Waste Management Limited, under the National Enhanced Dengue Intervention Programme.

Insert: Staff of North Eastern Parks and Markets (NEPM) Waste Management Limited remove bulky waste from the community of Standfast in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, during Tuesday’s (November 26) clean-up exercise which was conducted under the National Enhanced Dengue Intervention Programme.

Serena Grant Photos

Caribbean News

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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Caribbean News

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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Caribbean News

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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