Regional Briefs

Commonwealth secretary general blames climate change for 'catastrophic' Dorian

LONDON, England (CMC):

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland yesterday linked climate change to the “increasing frequency and intensity of these natural disasters”, as she expressed concern for The Bahamas while the “catastrophic” Hurricane Dorian continues to batter the Caribbean country.

“Memories of similar disastrous impacts in other Commonwealth countries caused by floods in Asia, by cyclones in Africa and the Pacific, and by hurricanes in the Caribbean are still fresh in my mind,” the Dominica-born Sutherland said.

“We will carry forward with renewed vigour our Commonwealth advocacy and work in support of small and vulnerable countries facing the serious challenge of climate change – an undoubted cause of the increasing frequency and intensity of these natural disasters,” she said in a statement.

Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane, considered one of the worst storms in recent history, has been battering the archipelago since Sunday.

 

 

ANTIGUA-EDUCATION-PM says UWI campus “defining moment” in Antigua and Barbuda’s history

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has described the establishment of the fourth campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) as a “defining moment in Antigua and Barbuda’s history.

”It opens a further pathway for our country’s growth, development and prosperity, through improved education, expanded knowledge, and increased capacity of its most significant resource – its people,” Browne said at a church service on Sunday that launched the Five Islands Campus.

He said the campus provides the opportunity for every Antiguan and Barbudan to earn a degree, noting, “No Antiguan and Barbudan will be denied the opportunity of a University education; all will have access to it.”

The UWI has campuses in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

 

 

Dominica to implement HPV vaccine this year

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):

Dominica will seek to introduce the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among girls this year as it seeks to deal with cervical cancer, the second cause of death among women in the country.

“A number of countries in the Caribbean region have already implemented the HPV vaccine and Dominica has decided to implement HPV vaccine this year in the school term. We have also looked at the different Caribbean countries and their best practices,” said Acting Health Promotion Coordinator Mignon Rolle-Shillingford.

Rolle-Shillingford said that a “massive campaign” was being undertaken to get information to the public on the issue.

She said one of the goals is to prevent children from getting any type of cancers associated with the HPV virus and the Ministry of Health has already done a number of empowerment and advocacy training sessions in that regard.

“We have done all of our healthcare providers; we have done the media; we still have to do our teachers, our education providers. ... We are going to ensure that we leave no stone unturned,” she added.