ECS International

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290 Cuban Doctors For Jamaica

Cuba has long been renowned for its medical diplomacy with thousands of its doctors working in medical missions around the world where it is estimated that more than 30,000 Cuban doctors are currently active in 67 countries including Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.  Cuban cooperation started out in Jamaica in 1976 with 14 doctors and has significantly expanded where there are some 300 Cuban health professionals including doctors, nurses, technicians, and biomedical engineers currently providing services in government hospitals and clinics throughout Jamaica. Now the Cuban medical mission in Jamaica will be increased further with the addition of 290 new physician specialists.

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Hepatitis In The Caribbean

Viral hepatitis is an emerging global public health problem where more than one million people die each year from hepatitis and 57% and 78% of global cirrhosis and liver cancer are caused by the disease respectively.  In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) more than 125,000 deaths each year are are linked to viral hepatitis, 99% of them due to hepatitis B and C.  Data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), indicates an estimated 2.1 million people in LAC are living with hepatitis B, and 4.1 million people are living with hepatitis C.

Twenty one countries and territories in the region have hepatitis B vaccines for children under one, and coverage in 2015 was 89%.  PAHO recommends universal hepatitis B vaccination of newborns, and 15 countries recommend the vaccine for children born to mothers with the disease.  Over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be cured of the virus if given appropriate and timely treatment, thereby reducing the risk of death from either liver cancer or cirrhosis.

PAHO says that countries in LAC are taking action to eliminate viral hepatitis, although challenges remain in the detection and diagnosis of this disease, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and even death if not treated on time.  According Dr. Massimo Ghidinelli, chief of the HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections unit at PAHO,  “Countries of the Americas are making very great efforts to implement actions and policies that will lead to the elimination of hepatitis, especially preventing hepatitis B and curing hepatitis C.”  A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO), reported that by investing US$6 billion per year in eliminating hepatitis in low- and middle-income countries would avert 4.5 million premature deaths by 2030.

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Autism in the Caribbean

Autism by definition is a developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behavior.  Autism is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting youngsters, with one in every 68 children affected. The disorder affects boys more than girls, with one in every 42 boys and one in every 189 girls being born with the condition.   Autism is present from early childhood,  and affects children’s ability to communicate and interact with others, and they might also display behavior that may be considered odd or unusual. Other symptoms of the condition include delayed, absent or unusual speech.  Children with autism also have trouble in understanding what other people think and feel. This makes it very hard for them to express themselves either with words or through gestures, facial expressions, and touch.

Many persons in the Caribbean do not understand what Autism is, and developing Caribbean countries such as Jamaica and Haiti have little or no resources to educate autistic children. In many cases, families have never heard of autism, and are unaware that this is the condition that is affecting their child. Often, the families are from low income, and the household is often headed by a single mother.  Researchers have discovered that based on pure ethnicity, Caribbean people are among the most likely to become autistic.  A recent survey found that 1 in 62 children in Puerto Rico suffer from autism or a related disorder.

The greatest challenge is to eliminate the social stigma and bullying that autistic children often encounter in their communities and schools and to lift the awareness on a national level.  National autism associations exist in five Caribbean countries and territories: Bahamas, Barbados,  Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tortola. These associations are mainly funded by private sector and philanthropic support with some organizations receiving small grants from the respective governments. These organizations vary in the scope of services they offer; at minimum, they offer educational information on autism spectrum disorders and support for affected individuals and their families.
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Health City Cayman to Become the Center for Caribbean Medical Tourism and Beyond

Surgeon and entrepreneur Dr. Devi Shetty has recently outlined his plan to make Grand Cayman the “capital of medical tourism for the western hemisphere” within the next seven years.  The man behind Health City Cayman believes the hospital’s growth will accelerate with the construction of a new multi-million dollar cancer centre within the next 12 months.  He expects patients to come largely from the Caribbean and wider Americas region rather than the US, as first conceived.

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Developing Countries Are Being Ripped Off By Big Pharma

Developing countries with small to medium-sized economies pay far more money for less effective drugs, according to a new report released by the Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD) shows that generic drugs, like omeprazole (used to treat heartburn), can cost 20-30 times more in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Also, in countries such as Zambia, Senegal and Tunisia, everyday drugs like paracetamol can cost up to 30 times more than in the UK and USA.  Poorer countries, tend to buy the most expensive medicines, rather than cheaper generic pharmaceuticals which make up 85% of the market in the UK and US.

According to the report, low- to middle-income countries “have little ability to negotiate prices down and quality assure products” and there are lots of mark-ups, often due to taxes and corruption. There is often less stringent regulations in place which results in poorer quality of the drugs being sold in the marketplace. Consumers in these countries have the misperception that generic drugs don’t work, and so will pay extra for brand drugs that they think will work. Interestingly, the very poorest countries are not affected when foreign donors (NGOs’) purchase medicine on their behalf, resulting with their over-the-counter medicines remain at low cost.  However, in richer countries, thanks to public funding and strong regulations for purchasing drugs, are able to procure cheaper medicines.

The report recommends greater global co-operation and reforming of World Health Organisation (WHO) policy as well as policy in targeted countries to improve procurement practices.

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