When a 26-year-old declared he would die in hospital it was difficult to believe. There was no gunshot wound, visible signs of trauma, or apparatus attached to him indicating he was under critical care. Twenty minutes later, after calling his mother, the father to a two-year-old took his last breath in Kayla Mortimer’s arms.

Nurses make up more than 50% of health workers yet, in many countries of the Americas, shortages persist. New PAHO guidelines seek to strengthen their role in achieving health for all.

Today, at the launch of the Strategic Directions for Nursing in the Region of the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) called on countries to invest in nurses to improve their availability...

Millions of people in the world still lack access to health care and many are forced to choose between spending on health and other daily expenses. It is estimated that in the Americas around one third of the population lacks access to health care. In the framework of World Health Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is calling for equitable access to comprehensive and quality health care...

Decentralization of mental health services marking another step towards improving the delivery of and access to good health care. On Thursday March 21st, the Male Psychiatric Clinic will be relocated to the Fleming Street Community Clinic, located on Fleming Street.

While mental illness is responsible for more than a third of total disability in the Americas, current spending is far below that required to address its public health burden, highlights a new report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). PAHO is urging countries to increase mental health budgets and allocate spending towards more proven, cost-effective interventions.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has called for countries in the Region of the Americas to prepare for a timely response to possible outbreaks of dengue. The disease is endemic in the Region and, since its reintroduction in the 1980s, has caused cyclical outbreaks and epidemics every three to five years...

A public opinion poll conducted by Public Domain has revealed that 87% of respondents support the expansion of NHI Bahamas to provide affordable coverage for high cost medical care, such as treatment for prevalent adult cancers and paediatric cancers, heart attack and dialysis with no co-pays or deductibles. In addition, more than half (57%) of respondents said a combination of government, employees and employers should pay for universal healthcare...

The Americas region is home to more than one billion people. Every year, 15 million babies are born, and nearly 7 million people die. Life expectancy is 80.2 years for women and 74.6 for men. More than 8 in 10 people live in urban areas. These are some of the key statistics presented in the new “2018 Basic Indicators,” just published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The compendium, produced annually, presents PAHO’s most recent data from 49 countries and territories on the demographic and socioeconomic situation of the Americas, the population’s health status, risk factors, and coverage of health care services and health systems...

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce has suggested the cost of the proposal the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has put forward could be up to $200M or even $300M. Simply put, there is no basis for this number.  It is not a number that has ever been quoted by the NHIA, as it relates to the policy proposal costs to employers, and there appears to be some confusion on the overall programme costs. NHIA would like to clarify and provide the facts about the cost related to the new NHI policy proposal...

In commemoration of World Cancer Day, on February 4, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is striving to accelerate prevention and control efforts to create a future without cervical cancer, which is the third most common cancer among women in Latin America and the Caribbean, but one that can be prevented.
 
Every year more than 56,000 women in Latin America and the Caribbean are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 28,000 die from it. These figures rise to 72,000 diagnoses and 34,000 deaths when the United States and Canada are included...

Dr. Robin Roberts, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Board, announced that the National Health Insurance (NHI) program will be undergoing policy changes based on the feedback collected from the stakeholder consultations.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in the world, affecting approximately 50 million people, 5 million of whom live in the Region of the Americas. However, it is estimated that the treatment gap in Latin America and the Caribbean is over 50%, which means that more than half of people with this disease do not receive health services.

Personal Health and Regenerative Medicine is widely recognized as the new paradigm for health with the expectation that this new paradigm will produce much needed new cures for alleviating human suffering. Each year, for the past fourteen years, the Regenerative Medicine Foundation has selected top innovators, leaders, and global bridge-builders creating connections and solutions to improve human health and wellness through stem cell and regenerative medicine. This year, on January 23rd at the World Stem Cell Summit at the Hyatt Regency, Miami, Florida, the 2019 International Advocacy Award will go to Dr. Desirée Cox, MD, PhD., the First Bahamian Rhodes Scholar.

Dr. Cox is a graduate of Queens College, McGill, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and has been recognized in the ‘Queens College Hall of Fame’.  Dr. Cox is also the Founder of The HEALinc (www.thehealinc), and the Inaugural HEALinc Future Health Innovation Summit held in October 2018, at the Melia Hotel, Nassau, Bahamas...

Health City Cayman Islands now operates a Level 3 Trauma Center, following the commissioning of its newly expanded Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) in early December 2018.

A patient satisfaction survey conducted by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has revealed that over 95% of beneficiaries were either very satisfied (57.64%) or satisfied (38.07%) with the health care experience they received from their NHI doctor. The survey, which was completed by 5,122 beneficiaries between July and November 2018, also received very positive feedback in terms of quality of service received...

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a communication campaign today to prevent cervical cancer, which kills more than 34,000 women each year in the Americas and is among the leading causes of cancer death in women in 23 countries of the Region.

Laboratory services at the Rand Memorial Hospital have been suspended this weekend as the hospital’s management and technical teams continue to monitor the aftermath of a chemical spill which occurred in the Laboratory on Thursday morning. Management however has confirmed the full restoration of radiology services, and the cessation of referrals from General Practice to the Freeport Community Clinic. 

Laboratory and Radiology services temporarily suspended today at the Michaela Virgill Storr Pavilion of the Rand Memorial Hospital following a minor chemical spill in the Laboratory this morning. No injuries were reported, however cautionary measures were taken for employees affected to be seen by doctors on staff. At no time did the incident impact patients admitted on the hospital’s wards, as teams worked quickly to contain the spill...

Today, Dr. Robin Roberts, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Board, announced that the National Health Insurance (NHI) program will be undergoing a transformation to better suit the needs of Bahamians and stakeholders. As part of its efforts to reposition NHI Bahamas for success, the NHIA has launched a 45-day consultation period with stakeholders to discuss proposed changes to the program – a program which is grounded in Bahamian values of shared responsibility, fairness, commitment to the community, and working forward, upward, onward, together for better health and health care in The Bahamas....