We all know someone who has a chronic health condition, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. They’ve become almost a daily part of Caribbean conversation; something so common that they’re almost expected to be mentioned on greeting. We speak casually about them, and at times, jokingly. And yet at the same time, they’re something we know are both serious and deadly. As … [Read more...] about One Stop Care Team – No Laughing Matter in Trinidad and Tobago
Ian Ho-A-Shu
Ian Ho-a-Shu is a Senior Health Specialist in the Social Protection and Health Division of the IDB. He is primarily responsible for the implementation-supervision of health projects in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Prior to joining the IDB, he was a hospital administrator at a major hospital complex in Trinidad. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Law from the University of the West Indies and a Master’s in Business Administration from Andrews University, Michigan, USA.
Travel Bugs
No one enjoys getting sick, especially when you’re far from home. Travel-related illness can turn a vacation or a work trip into a nightmare especially if you are alone. Contagious germs and “travel bugs” are everywhere when you travel and even though we may wipe our airplane tray tables with a disinfecting wipe, sanitize our hands before every meal or stick to well-cooked … [Read more...] about Travel Bugs
A Big Fat Loss for Trinidad and Tobago
By Ian Ho-a-Shu and Natalie Wegener Carmona It’s no secret that being overweight or obese puts people at higher risk for illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers and Type 2 Diabetes[1]. Obesity comes with financial costs at the individual and population levels, but we all know there is no way to put a price on personal good health and wellness. As … [Read more...] about A Big Fat Loss for Trinidad and Tobago
How we Ensure Travelers enjoy a Healthy Visit to the Caribbean
By Ian Ho-A-Shu and Natalie Wegener Carmona While not on a scale to be classified as pandemics, Salmonella and Norovirus[1] outbreaks from 2000 to 2014 across various popular Caribbean tourist destinations have raised alarms in a region which provides 13% of employment to its population through tourism and travel related activities, creating 2.23M jobs and contributing to … [Read more...] about How we Ensure Travelers enjoy a Healthy Visit to the Caribbean
Searching for Gold, Finding…Malaria?
By Maria Fernanda Garcia and Ian Ho-A-Shu The hunt for buried treasure has long and infamously yielded fortune and misfortune in the same fell swoop. From Jason and the Argonauts’ haunting search for the Golden Fleece, to the 49ers’ mad rush to a then far-off and forbidding California, the search for gold continues to prove simultaneously fruitful and hazardous for those … [Read more...] about Searching for Gold, Finding…Malaria?