Stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a cross-section of government, as well as other non-governmental organizations, including the National AIDS Commission, gathered at the Biltmore this morning to review the achievements of the Program for Strengthening the Central American Response to HIV. PASCA, as it is known, is a five-year project spearheaded by USAID. The […]
Cervical cancer continues to be the leading cancer related death among women in Belize. Over the years this has spurred several pap smear campaigns countrywide. According to Gynecologist & Oncologist, Dr Alba Mendez Sosa, even though she has seen a reduction of fifteen to twenty cases of cervical cancer per year due to basic prevention […]
Today at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital the signing of a grant agreement between the national referral hospital, the Offices of the Special Envoy for Women and Children and the Japan Government took place. The grant, which is approximately one hundred and twenty thousand U.S. dollars, is to be used for the purchasing of equipment […]
The younger population is mostly vulnerable in contacting sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. It is an issue that PASMO, the Pan American Social Marketing Organization, has been targeting with a view to reduce risks. Today, it held an open day attracting students from many high schools considered at risk groups. Duane Moody has a report. […]
Political connections and lucrative appointments – that’s always been commonplace in Belize, almost as traditional as rice and beans. But that doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow. Today, the Ministry of Health is in hot water after the announcement of a new Director of Drug Inspectorate, who just happens to be the daughter […]
The association has pulled no punches with the issue of its release, stating that the appointment is based on a preferential political agenda and asking that the situation with the new director be immediately rectified. This isn’t the first time that the association has been at odds with the Ministry of Health, and politics was […]
Last week, to kick off Child Stimulation Month, Civic Education Coordinator at the Department of Human Services, Diana Pook, explained why stimulation is important at an early stage of a child’s life. In this week’s Healthy Living, she outlines a few easy games you and your infant can do at home. While easy and very […]
Twenty-five year old police constable Abimael Romero remains hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times in Orange Walk on Sunday morning. The officer was reportedly in town visiting with his in-laws when he was attacked by a group of men while walking along Asuncion Street. He was stabbed as many as eighteen times to various parts […]
Today, an inaugural sickle cell clinic was held at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Sickle cell is a disease of the blood which can result in a lot of pain for individuals who need to access the health system to receive care. In Belize, the only treatment provided to sickle cell patients is that of […]
Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan returned to the jewel this afternoon after a round of successful spinal surgery. Finnegan left Belize for the U.S. late last month and was treated at the Newport Beach Spine Center in California for the spinal problem he had been ailing with for some time. When he checked with him […]
Child Stimulation Month is celebrated in March. This year’s theme is: “Where our future begins”. Many parents are known to focus on the formal education of their children; but development begins at home and the experts agree that the first few years of a child’s life is the fastest period of development. This week’s healthy […]
On Tuesday, there was an accident in Belize City which resulted in a horse having to be euthanized. It went somewhat under the media radar, but on the social media the outcry has been fast and furious. The horse and buggy business in Belize is a big tourism draw, and the negative response to the […]
Tuberculosis, or TB, as it is commonly known, is a fatal infectious disease that attacks the lungs. It is an airborne disease when people who have an active TB infection cough or sneeze. Tonight, Healthy Living looks at the symptoms and treatment, as well as precautions to avoid the infection. Marleni Cuellar, Reporting Tuberculosis […]
Moses Williams, a mentally challenged person, was shot and killed by the police in Big Falls. Police told News Five that Williams was shot after chopping the left arm of one of the officer. Today, the Mental Health Association issued a statement on the confrontation between Williams and the police that ended in his death. […]
There is confirmation tonight from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority of the presence of bovine tuberculosis in the country. Bovine TB is a chronic infectious disease which affects cattle and is caused by a bacteria that is related to the that which also causes tuberculosis in humans. According to a release issued by BAHA earlier […]
Very few people enjoy going to the dentist but good oral hygiene is one way of ensuring good overall health. The mouth, including teeth and gums, is an organ in your body and poor oral hygiene can lead to health complications in other organs and body parts. Tonight in Healthy Living, we discuss this topic […]
On Monday, we reported that Benque Viejo del Carmen and surrounding villages have been without an ambulance for the past several months. While it was initially rumored that the vehicle has been confiscated in neighboring Guatemala, the Benque Viejo Town Council, which is responsible for providing the service, says that the ambulance was simply towed […]
February fourth was the celebration of World Cancer Day. The theme was Debunking Myths and Building Awareness. Tonight in Healthy Living, we look at foods with cancer agents and foods that reduce your risk of cancer. Our specialist tonight will make you rethink the value between a carrot stick and a French fry. Evelyn […]
On Tuesday, we reported on a garbage situation at the Punta Gorda Hospital involving the accumulation of medical waste inside the storage facility. The incinerator which is used to consume the refuse has reportedly been out of service for several months, forcing the hospital administration to transport trash from PG to the Southern Regional Hospital. […]
The Rotary Club of Belize’s annual Gift of Life Program is underway at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Since Monday, the visiting doctors have been attending to a growing number of children requiring medical attention for heart conditions. The program is also extended to adults and where necessary, the patients are sent overseas for further […]
In 2007, B.D.F. Corporal Norman Rodriguez was diagnosed with a condition called arterio-venous malformation on the brain. It’s not a tumor, but it is something like a growth…an abnormal connection between arteries and veins. Rodriguez allegedly received some medical assessment and treatment in Belize, but his condition has deteriorated to the point where he cannot […]
Corporal Rodriguez feels that the B.D.F. has let him down, and feels that he is being given the runaround. Today News Five was in Price Barracks, where we discovered that the force is trying to raise the funding to pay for Rodriguez’s surgical procedure and recovery, but the reality is that there is no money […]
There are allegations of a harmful situation brewing at the Punta Gorda Hospital tonight. News Five understands that hazardous waste, including expended hypodermic needles, as well as other biological refuse, is being stockpiled in plastic trash bags inside a storage room on the compound. While hospital administrator, Ruth McDonald, has declined comment, it is reported […]
The Belize City Council, in association with Body 2000 and the Diabetes Association, launched its Get Moving Belize program on Monday. It’s an initiative created to get citizens more aware of their bodies, and the benefits of being healthy. The partnership with the Belize Diabetes Association is important, because the disease, dubbed the silent killer, […]
Today is recognized globally as World Cancer Day and for the rest of the week a campaign will take place to increase cancer knowledge and eliminate misconceptions about the deadly disease. Locally, the Belize Cancer Society started activities under the theme, “Cancer Facts Can Save Lives-Power Up!” The society says is geared up to educate […]
