The 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference: Strengthening Evidence To Achieve Sustainable Action, Bahamas, November 18-21, 2011 The conference goal is to sharpen the focus on HIV in the Caribbean, the region with the world's second highest adult HIV prevalence. In 2008, approximately 240,000 people in the region were living with HIV, 20,000 new infections occurred, and 12,000 deaths resulted from AIDS-related illnesses (UNAIDS).
Click on post title to link to the conference website.Labels: Caribbean, HIV/AIDS, medical conference
The 7th OECS Medicine Formulary is now available on the Reference shelf of the Anne Ross Library. The formulary is a compilation of medicines used in the public sector of the nine OECS Member countries. An important reference guide to drug information on the indications, side effects and contraindications of medicines in current use in St. Kitts and the other Caribbean member countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Now in it's 7th edition for 2009 -2012, this pocket-size handbook lists over 500 essential medicines, including 127 new medicines.
Labels: Caribbean, Caribbean medical education, Caribbean Medical School, drug reference, formulary, OECS, pharmaceuticals
Yesterday's report in the Brigetown Barbados newpaper, the
Daily Nation brought attention to plans for change being proposed by that islands' Ministry of Health. The Government is planning to tighten up the practice of medicine in two respects:
Minister of Health Donville Inniss stated it would soon become mandatory for doctors to continue their medical education to stay on the register and continue practicing medicine.
"Medicine is a very dynamic field and one has to continue to read, research and analyse matters in order to keep abreast..."
In conjunction,
"We are going to establish, for the first time, a specialist register which will indicate who qualifies to be registered as a specialist in the medical profession," Inniss stated.
Click on the title for the full news report.Labels: Barbados, Caribbean, Caribbean medical education, continuing education, government regulations, medical education, medical registry, medical specialties, practice of medicine
The 6th Annual
CANQATE 2009 conference:
Balancing Quality and Quantity: The Global Challenge for Tertiary Education was held in Bridgetown, Barbados October 6~8, 2009.
However if you missed the event or you wish to revisit it, click on the title to view pictures, and access plenary sessions & presentations of the conference, in .pdf and powerpoint, from their website.
Note the paper presented on
Medical Education in the Caribbean by
Lorna Parkins Director
CAAM-HP.
CANQATE stands for
Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education.Labels: accreditation, Barbados, CAAM-HP, CANQATE, Caribbean, Caribbean medical education, education conferences, medical education, tertiary education
Seems there is a connection between the increased volcanic activity of Monserrat's volcano and the 4.5 earthquake that struck earlier today off St. Maarten
[see post below], according to the
Monserrat Volcano Observatory.
UPDATE: Sunday October 11 ~ "New lava dome growing on the south side..."Labels: Caribbean, earthquake, Monserrat, volcanos
4.5 earthquake hits just north of us, close to St. Maarten! Labels: Caribbean, earthquake caribbean, St. Kitts
An interesting study conducted by
Farid Youssef at the
University of the West Indies SOM indictes that
'neurophobia' probably exists among their medical students, giving rise to concerns regarding the impact this will have on future patients.
"Neurophobia and it's implications: Evidence from a Caribbean medical school." (July 1, 2009) BMC Medical Education 2009, 9:39.
"Neurology is regarded as a difficult component of the medical curriculum. This has been so marked that the term
neurophobia and its effects are being investigated. Given the impact of neurological disorders worldwide, neurophobia has the potential to affect the diagnosis and management of such cases."
The study determined that neurology was the subject students found the most difficult and had the least knowledge of. The difficulty seemed to stem from the need to know basic neuroscience and the complex clinical examination associated with neurology. In conclusion some suggestions are put forward to address this finding:
~ provide students with greater clinical and practical exposure
~ spend more time on the subject
~ improve the teaching skills of lecturers
~ re-visit the approach to neurology and neuroscience education
Click on the title for open access to the article.Labels: Caribbean, Caribbean Medical School, medical education, neurology lectures, neurophobia, neuroscience, UWI
This often blows in our direction (notice Nevis and St. Kitts in the clouds to the north-west), making it hard to keep our cars clean! It also makes you wonder about the long-term effects on our health!
Click on the image to enlarge or click on the title to go to the NASA site. Notice Guadeloupe to the south, Antigua to the east and Barbuda to the north-east.
Photo from NASA Earth Observatory.Labels: Caribbean, Monserrat, NASA, St. Kitts, volcanic ash health effects, volcanos
"1850: Florida physician John Gorrie uses his mechanical ice-maker to astonish the guests at a party. It's America's first public demonstration of ice made by refrigeration."
A Florida physician certainly ~ but born in Nevis!
Click on the title to read the interesting if chilling story for this hot July day, from WIRED magazine... Labels: Caribbean, Dr. John Gorrie, history of refrigeration, inventors, medical history, Nevis, physicians
Read what is being said about the St. Kitts & Nevis women's health promotion inititative ~
"Healthy Women, Healthy Nation Project" Kittivitian Life Magazine has just published an article by Orita Bailey called
"A Healthy Workforce is a Productive Workforce." Labels: Caribbean, health promotion, health research, research study, St. Kitts, womens health
St. Kitts "off the beaten track" Tour
Join the Caribbean History class students
on
Sunday January 27for an “off the beaten track” hinterland tour
of beautiful St. Kitts’
in specially modified 4x4 Land Rovers
to explore the legacy of Sugar.
Meet at IUON at 2:00pm.
Tour will return by 6:00pm.
Cost is $20 US or $55 EC.
Please see Prof. Bernstein ASAP to reserve your spot! Stops on the tour include:
~ Sugar Plantation Home built in the mid 1700’s
~ cool mountain rainforest & panoramic mountain top views
~ ruins of the old "Muscavardo" Sugar Factory
~ Windmill and Boiling House
~ the sugar plantaion home of Lodge Estate
A not to be missed 4x4 driving adventure for an up-close look at the Sugar Heritage of beautiful St. Kitts as well as an unforgettable “off the beaten track” photo safari!
Labels: Caribbean, Caribbean nursing students, extracurricular activities, International University of Nursing, IUON, Safari Tour, St. Kitts, sugar estates tour
PANAMA CITY, 31 December 2007 – As 2007 comes to a close, UNICEF is looking back at the work achieved for children and preparing for the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2008 in the Latin America and Caribbean regions. Click on link to read more...
Labels: Caribbean, challenges to development, development, Latin America, opportunities for development, UNICEF
The 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference: Strengthening Evidence To Achieve Sustainable Action, Bahamas, November 18-21, 2011 
