The Food Safety Unit of the Environmental Health Department was positioned as lead agency for this year’s World Health Day activities when this year’s theme was declared as “Food Safety.”   Senior Environmental Health Officer Glenville Leader, with responsibility for food safety, said that the activities for the week were well executed and included media-related events such as the global airing of a Wo ...

Unmotivated students aren’t fully to blame, according to new findings that reinforces nature trumps nurture when it comes to personality development. Researchers at the University of Ohio studied how genetics may play a dominating role in a child’s performance in school. The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found children may inherit motivation from their parents, not ...

The Ministry of Health and Social Development has launched a four part series on pharmaducation to educate the public on asthma management strategies, drug interactions, pharmacovigilance and proper disposal of unwanted medicines.   The series is designed to empower the community with tools to effectively manage asthma and knowledge to make the best decisions with regards to their pharmaceutical use. A ...

The Health Ministry on Nevis continues to make strides to improve health care delivery on the island. The Alexandra Hospital began the first of a two-phase hospital system upgrade on Friday 30 January, 2015.   Hospital Administrator Gary Pemberton told the Department of Information that the hospital’s information system was undergoing development, to improve data collection which would help to provide ...

On Wednesday February 4th, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis joins the world health community in commemorating “World Cancer Day”. The theme is “Not beyond us” which signifies the fact that cancer is avoidable, preventable and potentially curable.  A diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence.   Cancer Facts (source: Health Information Unit) •         In the period 2011 – 2013, the average number ...

Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are asked to note that public health authorities in the USA are reporting a more intense 2014 – 2015 influenza (flu) season in the USA. The predominant circulating virus in the USA and Canada is Influenza A (H3N2). The US CDC reports genetic changes in the flu virus occurred after the vaccine strain was chosen.  Hence, in the USA, this year’s flu shot is less effective resul ...

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health on Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley, thanked the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board for a donation to the Ministry of Health for the Alexandra Hospital. He described it as a Christmas gift to the people of Nevis.   Mr. Brantley made the comment as he received the gifts from Prime Minister and Minister for Social Security the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas. The ha ...

World Health Organization (WHO) assistant director-general Dr Bruce Aylward has warned that there could be up to 10,000 new cases of Ebola per week over the next two months. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Aylward said that if the response to the Ebola crisis isn’t stepped up within 60 days, “a lot more people will die” and there will be a huge need on the ground to deal with the spiralling nu ...

St. Kitts Nevis has joined the list of countries in the region to place a ban on nationals from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea as a precaution against the deadly Ebola virus. The Office of the Prime Minister in a statement late Wednesday said the prohibition will also be applied to travelers who have visited the three countries in the preceding 21 days. “The Ministry of Health will closely monitor the sit ...

(CNN) -- Thomas Eric Duncan, a man with Ebola who traveled to the United States from Liberia, died Wednesday morning at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, the hospital said. He had been in critical condition after being diagnosed with the virusin mid-September. People who have had contact with the Liberian national are being monitored for symptoms. Some members of Duncan's family have been isolat ...