The twentieth meeting of the consultative council of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America opened this morning at the Radisson in Belize City. Over the next two days the Directors of Health Services from the region will review policies and plans for the respective countries and discuss strategies for improving the region’s dietary standards. […]
It is not one of those diseases that get much publicity in Belize, primarily because of the successful containment and control programmes implemented by the Ministry of Health. But tuberculosis is an ever present, and potentially deadly infectious disease. Today, the National Tuberculosis program hosted an open day in the parking lot of the Karl […]
For the next six weeks, the Ministry of Health will be holding a national campaign to immunize Belizeans against rubella. The effort is part of “Vaccination Week of the Americas” and will target people between the ages of five to thirty-five because statistically this is the age group most likely to contract the virus. Rubella, […]
Nine villages in the Belize District were invited to a community health fair today sponsored by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with several other agencies. And as News 5 found out, the residents who turned out were eager to learn how they can lead healthier lives. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Tuberculosis was just one of […]
Air pollution: it’s not something Belizeans in general think about, but for some residents of the Orange Walk District, air pollution from the sugar industry is a constant concern. This week I visited some residents who fight a daily battle against a black, sooty nuisance that falls from the sky. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting The fly […]
A three-day training workshop on the clinical management of HIV/AIDS opened today in Belize City. Doctors and nurses from throughout the country are participating in the sessions, which included remarks from the Minister of Health Vildo Marin and Errol Fairweather, who has been benefiting from anti-retroviral therapy. Vildo Marin, Minister of Health “This programme includes […]
Frontline doctors at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital have been brushing up on their skills at handling emergency cases. Eighteen medical professionals took part in a two-day refresher course conducted by two visiting neurosurgeons, one from the United States and the other a Belizean completing studies in Mexico. Head of the Emergency Department at K.H.M.H., […]
If you live in the Belize District and need a new pair of glasses, some dental work, or a check-up, then some free medical attention is headed your way. That’s right, FREE! The clinics come courtesy of the U.S. Army. Patrick Jones was in Crooked Tree today where the residents turned out to take advantage […]
While many of you spent your day buying candy filled hearts to give loved ones on Valentine’s Day, one Belize City woman was out trying to raise money for open heart surgery. Adrian Lino, a cancer survivor, now finds herself diagnosed with an enlarged heart and a liver condition. She faces the daunting task of […]
Today, the office of the director of health services confirmed it was Meningitis that caused the death of a nine-month-old baby girl on January twenty-fifth in the Cayo District. Dr. Paul Edwards the epidemiologist who conducted the investigation spoke with News Five about the case and if Belizeans should be concerned. Dr. Paul Edwards, Epidemiologist, […]
The Ministry of Health says lab results have still not determined if a nine month old baby who died at the Belmopan Hospital on January twenty-fifth had Meningitis, but they do say the child displayed symptoms of the disease. According to Director of Health Services Dr. Errol Vanzie, the victim’s family, who reside in San […]
It is getting to be a popular practice in the United States for professional associations to combine business and pleasure. Today that combination resulted in a group of U.S. nurses dropping in on the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Jacqueline Woods has more. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Eighty-four year old Norman Simpliss quit smoking almost two decades, […]
The Ministry of Health is investigating a couple of suspected cases of Meningitis in the Cayo District. In the first week of January an adult died after he contracted what doctors believe to be a form of Meningitis, a disease that affects the brain. Then on Sunday, a nine-month-old baby died at the Belmopan Hospital […]
It’s been in the U.S. headlines, but do Belizeans have to worry about mad cow disease? Belizean officials are taking the “better safe than sorry” approach, implementing a number of preventive measures. Since seventy-five percent of all animal product imports come from the United States, government is temporarily banning all commodities deemed risky, assessing meat […]
It may not be the most serious consequence of mad cow disease, but if you own a finicky dog or cat, the ban on U.S. beef imports means that you better start looking for some new recipes. Jacqueline Woods has the story. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting A temporary ban has been placed on all imported animal […]
When on our newscast of January second we ran a story on the first baby of 2004 delivered at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, we never dreamed that less than a week later we would be reporting the child’s death. But while infant mortality is no stranger to Belize, there is evidence that this incident […]
The K.H.M.H.’s primary mission is to provide health care to Belizeans… but who cares for the K.H.M.H. when it needs urgent attention? Quite a few people it seems, including staff members who are giving their time to make the hospital more hospitable. Jacqueline Woods reports. Jacqueline Woods No one will deny the fact that the […]
There are a lot of misconceptions about HIV and AIDS in Belize, and today the Ministry of Health, PAHO, and the National AIDS Commission attempted to set the record straight, particularly in terms of numbers. They presented a situational analysis to be used in the development of a new strategic plan. Jacqueline Woods reports from […]
The donation may not be as large as Taiwan’s, but the message is huge. Today the National AIDS Commission received a cheque for just over two thousand dollars from Belize Water Services Limited. The money, which will go a long way toward making sure children with HIV and AIDS have a merry Christmas, was raised […]
Despite numerous and costly AIDS awareness campaigns statistics show that the public still may not be getting the message. That’s the fear of the National AIDS Commission’s Executive Director, Martha Carrillo, who spoke to News 5 about the upcoming annual HIV/AIDS Solidarity March. The event will culminate a week of activities to raise awareness of […]
If you thought that last night’s story about a young HIV positive man who had unprotected sex with dozens of unwary women was an isolated incident, think again. Tonight News 5’s Jacqueline Woods ventures behind the walls of Hattieville Prison…and finds that, like the rest of society, AIDS has left its mark. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting […]
The latest AIDS statistics are out, and while it would be easy to portray the frightening numbers in eye catching graphics on your screen, we’ve found that numbers no longer seem to move our audience to any meaningful change in behaviour. So today, as part of our acknowledgement of AIDS Week, we’re going to try […]
Whenever we get sick we’re generally treated with a little extra care and compassion by the people we know, especially our families. But sadly, this is not always the case, even if we discover we have a potentially fatal disease like HIV. Next week is World AIDS Week, and once again the focus in Belize […]
Today is being observed around the globe as World Diabetes Day…and with such a large part of our population at risk for this dangerous condition, the experts were out in force trying to spread the word about the need for Belizeans to adopt healthier lifestyles. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting It is estimated that twenty percent of […]
It’s Diabetes Week, and while for years health officials have been telling Belizeans how to avoid and treat this pervasive disease, one look at our overweight and out of shape population tells us that there is a lot of work to be done. This week I’ve been looking at the relationship between diabetes and the […]
