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JAMAICA: HIV Positive Woman Turns Tragedy Into Life Mission

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#Kingston, December 1, 2018 – Jamaica – Ten years ago, Karmen Josephs’* life was changed forever, when she was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  She tells JIS News that at the time, she was about two months pregnant, and had gone to the doctor for prenatal checks, which included a blood test for HIV.

“I did the HIV testing. When I went back with my partner, the doctor was looking for the result and couldn’t find it. When he eventually found the result, he held up a paper and I saw on the back of it ‘HIV positive’ and I thought ‘No! No! No! This is not me’,” she recalls.

“He (doctor) then said ‘I have some good news and some bad news for you. Which one do you want first?’  I said, give me any one of them. He said your HIV test came back and you are positive for HIV. I ran out of the office. My partner, who was sitting in the lobby, saw what was happening and ran after me, and we went back into the doctor’s office,” Ms. Josephs says.

She says that at the time, she did not know much about the disease, and after receiving bad medical advice, she decided to get an abortion.

“After the abortion, a different doctor took over my case and introduced me to an organization, where I was educated about HIV. I went to a workshop and I saw three pregnant females and I asked, ‘How are they pregnant and they are HIV positive’?

“When I was told that you can be pregnant with HIV and still have the baby, I was shocked,” Ms. Josephs tells JIS News.

A mother of two girls at the time, she says she felt that the child she aborted could have been the boy she desired.

Rather than wallowing in depression and self-pity at the decision she had made, Ms. Josephs decided to take action to reach women with HIV in order to prevent them from making the same mistake.  She says that over the last five years, she has been counselling HIV patients to encourage them to live positive and healthy lives and take their medication. This work, she says, has become her life mission.

Ms. Josephs, who is virally suppressed, says she has no regrets about the path her life has taken.

“I have no regrets, no regrets at all, because knowing that I am educated now, I can now relate to females who are pregnant and are thinking that because they are HIV positive, they must do an abortion,” Ms. Josephs tells JIS News.

Her message to women who happen to become pregnant while they are HIV positive is, ‘take your medication. Your baby will be born without HIV as long as you stick to your medication and get regular health checks. HIV is not a death sentence. You can live a healthy life”.

The Ministry of Health has a programme in place to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, through which expectant women receive counselling and free medication.

Ms. Josephs points out that “there are a lot of organisations out there that will assist you and talk with you. Since I have done the abortion, and I am now educated, I’ve known a lot of women, especially young ladies, who are HIV positive and have babies that are negative and the mothers become virally suppressed. The virus is now sleeping in the body, and she is unable to pass on the virus to the baby or anyone else”.

Among these organisations is Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), where Executive Director, Kandasi Levermore, says everyone is welcome to get testing, counselling and treatment services.  JASL will be hosting a Candlelight Vigil at Carter Hall, St. Andrew, on Saturday (December 1), which is globally recognised as World AIDS Day.

This event will focus on remembering persons who have died from the HIV/AIDS, encouraging persons living with the disease to take their medication, and those who do not know their status, to get tested.

“The theme we are working with this year is ‘Know Your Status’, so we are really encouraging persons to come out and get tested,” Mrs. Levermore tells JIS News.

She says the JASL is open to educating and counselling persons who have been infected with HIV.

Contact can be made with JASL by calling 876-925-0021 and making an appointment.

* Name changed to protect identity.

 

Release: JIS

Contact: Ainsworth Morris

Photo: Ainsworth Morris

Photo Caption:  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patient, Karmen Josephs* is provding counselling to  pregant women and others with HIV.

 

 

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Liberty Caribbean Supports Regional Forum on AI, Cyber Resilience and Digital Inclusion  

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Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (February 24, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow, Liberty Business and BTC, recently served as Gold-Level Partner of the two-day Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF), themed “The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience”.

The Digital Divide is of particular interest to Liberty Caribbean and is being addressed through its Charitable Foundation across the region. Low broadband penetration in the Caribbean contributes to diminished opportunities for individuals, communities, and local economies, but with the support of funding partners, this gap can be addressed through a comprehensive programme – JUMP – that focuses on providing access, devices, and digital skills.

“Liberty Caribbean was proud to serve as Gold-Level Partner of the TTIGF because the conversations taking place here shape key digital policies for multiple stakeholders,” said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad.

“As technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, we must ensure that innovation strengthens our societies rather than fragments them. The theme, ‘The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience,’ speaks directly to the work we do every day: building networks that are not only fast and reliable, but secure, inclusive and future-ready.”

Across the Caribbean, the digital divide remains one of the most pressing barriers to equitable growth. Low broadband penetration limits access to education, entrepreneurship and essential services, and that is why we are deeply committed to closing this gap.

Through the Liberty Caribbean Charitable Foundation and initiatives like the JUMP Programme, the company is expanding access to technology, affordable connectivity and digital skills training so that individuals and communities are empowered to participate fully in the digital economy.

Martin-Sulgan further stated “at Liberty Caribbean, we believe progress and responsibility must move in lock step. By investing in resilient networks, inclusive programmes and trusted partnerships, we are helping to build a Caribbean that is innovative, secure and prepared for the opportunities ahead.”

Topics covered during the Forum, with over 140 participants, included “Securing Critical Infrastructure”, Integrating AI into Digital Transformation”, “The Digital Divide”, The Human Cost of Innovation – Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age’, and AI, Cyber Resilience and Regional Innovation”.

Focused on the underlying mandate of the Conference theme thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders were invited to explore how countries can evolve boldly without compromising values or long-term stability.

Photo Caption: 

TTIGF – l-r Darren Campo, Regulatory & Compliance Officer; Yolande Agard-Simmons, Senior Manager Communications; and Kevon Swift, Senior Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs of Flow Trinidad in attendance at the Post Event Mixer at Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Head Office in St Clair, Port of Spain

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Mottley Sworn in After Historic Clean Sweep in Barbados Election

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Barbados, February 12, 2026 – Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was this afternoon officially sworn in for a third consecutive term, hours after delivering one of the most emphatic election victories in Caribbean political history — another complete capture of all 30 seats in Barbados’ House of Assembly.

The ceremony, conducted by President His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, marked the formal start of a new administration following the February 11, 2026 general election, which returned the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to power with a renewed and overwhelming mandate.

In a statement after taking the oath, Mottley said she accepted the responsibility “with humility and resolve,” thanking the people of Barbados for placing their trust in her leadership once again and urging national unity as her government begins its new term. Attorney Wilfred Abrahams was also sworn in as Attorney General.

The result is historic not only for its scale but for its consistency. This is the third straight general election in which the BLP has won every constituency, reinforcing Mottley’s dominance in national politics and extending an unmatched era of one-party control in the modern democratic period.

Voting day unfolded under the watch of a CARICOM Election Observation Mission, led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes and supported by senior electoral officials from Belize and Jamaica. The team engaged key institutions ahead of the poll and monitored the process across the island.

Regional leaders were swift in their congratulations.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali described the outcome as “emphatic and historic,” saying the clean sweep reflected how deeply Mottley’s leadership has connected with Barbadians and expressing optimism about strengthening ties between the two countries.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also hailed the victory, noting that her re-election provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation within CARICOM and advance shared regional priorities.

The scale of the win again leaves Barbados without a parliamentary opposition, a reality that has become a defining feature of the political landscape since 2018. Supporters argue the repeated mandate reflects public confidence in Mottley’s stewardship of economic reform, climate diplomacy, the transition to a republic, and Barbados’ expanding global influence.

Now, newly sworn in and backed by another unanimous parliamentary majority, Mottley begins a third term with both extraordinary political capital and equally high expectations at home and across the region.

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Liberty Caribbean Committed to ‘Elevating Region’ at CANTO  

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Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago

Liberty Caribbean is Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and 42nd AGM

 

Port of Spain, TRININDAD & TOBAGO (February 1, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow. Liberty Business and BTC, has reaffirmed its commitment to turning regional connectivity into measurable economic and social outcomes as Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and its 42nd Annual General Meeting.

CANTO is the leading regional body that brings together telecommunications operators, ICT providers, regulators, governments, and industry partners to support the development of the Caribbean’s digital and communications landscape.

Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago delivered the sponsor’s address on behalf of Liberty Caribbean.

“The work of laying fibre and lighting towers is done; connectivity is now our foundation,” she said.

“The real task before us is to translate that foundation into innovation, productivity and prosperity for our people. Intelligent connectivity, such as networks designed for 5G, AI and IoT, will be the platform for smarter public services, more resilient systems and scaled opportunities for Caribbean entrepreneurs.”

Martin-Sulgan emphasised that infrastructure alone will not deliver sustainable progress.

“Digital progress must become digital prosperity. That means creating career pathways for young people, helping local businesses scale and ensuring citizens across our communities can fully participate in the digital economy. A connected Caribbean should also be a confident, creative and globally competitive Caribbean,” she said.

Liberty Caribbean is represented by a senior delegation at CANTO Connect to support the conference objectives of aligning policy, investment and execution across the region under this year’s theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean – From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness’.

Liberty Caribbean’s delegation includes Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer; Desron Bynoe, VP and General Manager, Flow Barbados; Susanna O’Sullivan, VP and General Manager, North Caribbean; Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director, Head of Communications; Dominic Boon, VP, People; Daniel Neiva, Chief Commercial Officer, B2B; Bradley Ramcharan, Director, B2B, Trinidad & Tobago; Yolande Headley, Country Manager, Dutch East Caribbean; and Jade Reymond, Country Manager, Flow Anguilla.

Martin-Sulgan thanked CANTO’s local secretariat for convening the forum and urged delegates to convert conversation into action.

“If we align policy, capital and capability, the Caribbean can move from connectivity to competitiveness. Liberty Caribbean will continue to invest in resilient networks, nurture homegrown talent and partner to deliver measurable social and economic value across our markets,” she said.

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