WASHINGTON, DC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging Caribbean and other countries in the Americas to strengthen efforts to detect and prevent childhood lead poisoning, warning that exposure to the toxic metal often goes unnoticed despite its potentially irreversible health effects.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Medical specialists are urging Jamaicans to learn their sickle cell status before starting families, with nearly 20,000 people estimated to be living with the inherited blood disorder and about one in 10 carrying the sickle cell trait.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaica is observing Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 with a campaign dedicated to promoting understanding, reducing stigma, and connecting people with the support they need.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – President Irfaan Ali has directed the Attorney General to coordinate a multi-agency task force to develop recommendations aimed at improving the safety, welfare and mental health of children in Guyana, following a series of disturbing incidents involving young people.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Tuesday said he had been given a “clean bill of health” by his doctors and has since been discharged from the United States hospital where he had been rushed to after suffering a stroke last month.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Barbados has stepped up monitoring at its ports of entry following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in neighbouring Suriname, with authorities warning of the potential impact on the local poultry sector.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is urging Caribbean countries to strengthen disease surveillance and prepare health services for possible increases in dengue and chikungunya, amid renewed transmission in parts of the Americas and the anticipated intensification of the El Niño phenomenon.

Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaica Has Stepped Up Preparedness And Monitoring In Response To International Developments Involving Ebola, While Continuing Efforts To Maintain High Measles Vaccination Coverage, Chief Medical Officer (Cmo) Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-Mckenzie Says.

WASHINGTON, DC – Health ministers from the Caribbean and the wider region have been told that nearly 40 per cent of the total disease burden in the Americas could potentially be avoided through more effective prevention, timely diagnosis and treatment, and stronger health systems.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Barbados is stepping up efforts to tackle childhood obesity and chronic diseases, with new figures showing that 42 per cent of children were overweight or obese in 2026, up from 31 per cent in 2017.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana's government Friday dismissed allegations suggesting that approximately one million pounds of contaminated chicken may have been imported into the country and allowed to be sold on the local market.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, presented his annual report to the 63rd Directing Council highlighting important health gains across Latin America and the Caribbean despite a complex public health environment and increasing financial constraints.