Health
[Excerpt] from an Mental Health & Well Being Open Consultation; United Kingdom
May 19, 2022 – “Approximately 1 in 6 people aged 16 and over in England were identified as having a common mental health condition in 2014, according to survey data. In 2020 to 2021, there were around half a million people with more severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. We have seen worrying trends for children and young people, with rates of probable mental health disorders in 6 to 16-year-olds rising from 11.6% in 2017 to 17.4% in 2021. More people than ever are receiving support for a mental health crisis and, tragically, the numbers of those ending their life through suicide have broadly increased over the past decade. We know that two-thirds of people who end their life by suicide are not in contact with NHS mental health services.
For many of us, the experience of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – and its wide-ranging impacts on
individuals, families, society and the economy – have brought these issues into sharper focus. Around 1 in 5 adults in Britain experienced some form of depression in the first 3 months of 2021, over double pre-pandemic figures.
These problems aren’t felt equally by all of us. We know there is an uneven distribution of mental ill-health across society. People facing social and economic disadvantage are at a much higher risk of developing mental health conditions. They are also more likely to receive care and support much later as their conditions escalate to crisis point. In 2020 to 2021, people living in the most deprived areas of England were twice as likely to be in contact with mental health services than those living in the least deprived areas.
There are also disparities by ethnicity, age, sexuality, and sex, and for people with learning disabilities, neurodiversity, and long-term physical health conditions. Risks of mental ill-health are also higher for people who are unemployed, people in problem debt, people who have experienced displacement, including refugees and asylum seekers, people who have experienced trauma as the result of violence or abuse, children in care and care leavers, people in contact with the criminal justice system (both victims and offenders), people who sleep rough or are homeless, people with substance misuse or gambling problems, people who live alone, and unpaid carers. People may belong to several disadvantaged groups at once, which is likely to compound the risk of experiencing mental ill-health. Addressing these disparities is critical to deliver the government’s ambition to level up the country and tackle disparities in health. We will set out more detail on our plans to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places and communities across the country in our forthcoming health disparities white paper. See Annex A below on mental health disparities for more detail, which can be used as a point of reference when responding to our questions.
The impacts of mental ill-health on individuals, communities, society and the economy are substantial. Children and young people’s mental health conditions incur annual short-term costs estimated at £1.58 billion and annual long-term costs estimated at £2.35 billion.
Around 50% of mental health conditions are established by the time a child reaches the age of 14, and 75% by age 24.
Adults with mental health conditions are much more likely to be out of work, to have lower incomes, increased problems with their physical health, and increased involvement in the criminal justice system, both as victims and perpetrators.
The total annual cost of mental ill-health in the workplace to government has been estimated at between £24 billion and £27 billion. The overall annual loss to the economy has been estimated at between £70 billion and £100 billion. Losses are greater in places and among groups that experience mental health disparities.
Health is essential to a stable and functioning economy.
Our strong economic foundation going into the pandemic and the support provided throughout means we have made good economic progress.
However, we must continue to build back better as we begin to rebuild the economy. By improving mental health across the country, we can improve lives and livelihoods whilst reducing the demand on the NHS and pressure on other public services, and at the same time supporting economic growth.
A healthier and happier population is also more likely to access employment opportunities, which will reduce inactivity and improve productivity.
Reducing disparities in mental health between local areas is therefore critical to ensuring more equal access to opportunities and supporting the government’s Levelling Up agenda.”
Caribbean News
Belize, Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – 11th May 2024: On Thursday, 9th May 2024, results of testing for two suspected measles cases were received from the Caribbean Public Health Agency, confirming that both cases were positive for measles. These represent the first cases of measles in the TCI since 1991.
The public health team has been responding since initial reports of the suspected cases, carrying out contact tracing, isolation, public education and outreach in anticipation of yesterday’s results. No additional suspected cases have been identified at this time. All unvaccinated contacts of the confirmed cases have been vaccinated. Additional vaccination efforts will be conducted throughout the TCI. 
The public health team has been receiving technical support from its key stakeholders including the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
Measles is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that spreads easily between people. Symptoms typically start between 10 and 12 days after catching the infection. The signs and symptoms of measles are:
- A high fever
- Runny or blocked nose
- Cough
- Red, sore, watery eyes
Small greyish-white spots with a bluish-white center inside the mouth, cheek, and throat may appear a few days later. A rash usually appears 2-4 days after the cold-like symptoms start. The rash starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
Measles is spread through close contact with someone with measles. This could be through droplets in the air which are generated by the coughs and sneezes of infected persons or by touching things that someone with measles has coughed or sneezed on.
Measles spreads easily within households and in other places where people mix closely together. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. The period when a person is infectious and can spread the virus is within 7 to 10 days of exposure but can be up to 14 days.
Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease and serious complications are more common in children under the age of 5, or adults over the age of 30 and individuals whose immune systems have been weakened. The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Women infected while pregnant are also at risk of severe complications, and the pregnancy may end in miscarriage or preterm delivery. People who recover from measles are immune for the rest of their lives.
Any non-immune person (who has not been vaccinated or was vaccinated but did not develop immunity) can become infected.
No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles virus.
Severe complications from measles can be avoided through supportive care that ensures good nutrition, adequate fluid intake and treatment of dehydration with WHO-recommended oral rehydration solution. This solution replaces fluids and other essential elements that are lost through diarrhoea or vomiting. Antibiotics should be prescribed to treat eye and ear infections, and pneumonia.
A number of measles outbreaks have been detected globally and regionally. While the TCI has high vaccination coverage in the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) (>95%), unvaccinated persons can still acquire measles through contact with an infectious person. 
Having the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent measles. The vaccine is safe and effective in providing long term protection against measles, mumps and rubella. Vaccines are offered free of cost to all children at government-operated primary care facilities across the TCI.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services encourages parents to ensure that their children’s vaccines are up to date. If you are unsure if you or your child has had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, please visit your health care provider. If you have missed a dose, you can still be vaccinated at any age.
The public is being advised to remain vigilant and report any fever with rash or fever followed by rash to their doctor/health care provider as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services is grateful for the support of its stakeholders, including CARPHA, who provided the results of testing in such a prompt manner.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services will continue heightened surveillance for fever and rash and take necessary actions to mitigate against further cases.
For additional information please call 649-338-5469 or visit the Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.
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