Category: CANA News

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have called on counries, including those in the Caribbean, to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, outbreak response, and vaccination campaigns amid concerns that the Region of the Americas has lost its verification as free from endemic measles transmission.

PAHO said that the decision follows the conclusion of the PAHO Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission, which met in Mexico City earlier this month to review the epidemiological situation across the region.

It said the Commission determined that endemic measles transmission has been reestablished in Canada, where the virus has circulated for at least 12 months. As a result, the Americas, which was the first region in the world to eliminate measles twice, has now lost its measles-free status. All other countries continue to maintain their measles elimination status.

‘This loss represents a setback, but it is also reversible,’ said PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

‘Until measles is eliminated worldwide, our region will continue to face the risk of reintroduction and spread of the virus among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated populations. However, as we have demonstrated before, with political commitment, regional cooperation, and sustained vaccination, the region can once again interrupt transmission and reclaim this collective achievement,’ he added.

PAHO said that as of November 7, this year, 12,596 confirmed measles cases have been reported across 10 countries, approximately 95 per cent of the region’s cases in Canada, Mexico and the United States, a 30-fold increase compared to 2024.

It said 28 deaths have been recorded, 23 in Mexico, three in the United States, and two in Canada.

PAHO said active outbreaks are ongoing in Canada, Mexico, the United States, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Belize, mostly triggered by imported cases.

‘Transmission has primarily affected under-vaccinated communities, with 89 per cent of cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. Children under one year of age are the most affected, followed by those aged one to four year,’ PAHO said.

It said Canada’s measles outbreak began in October 2024 in the province of New Brunswick and has since spread nationwide, with more than 5,000 confirmed cases reported nationwide. Although declining, transmission persists in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Measles is highly contagious. A single infected person can transmit it to up to 18 others. Severe complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness, and death. Outbreaks also disrupt daily life and place additional pressure on health systems.

PAHO said vaccination remains the most effective means of protection and that over the past 25 years, the measles vaccine has prevented more than six million deaths across the Americas, and an estimated 15 million deaths over the last 50 years.

It said nevertheless, in 2024, regional coverage for the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR2) averaged 7 per cent, well below the 95 per cent needed to prevent outbreaks.

In addition, only 31 per cent of countries reached 95 per cent or more coverage for the first dose, and just 20 per cent achieved that level for the second dose.

PAHO said it is continuing to provide technical support to countries to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, outbreak response, and vaccination campaigns. Experts have been deployed to several countries and the organization is monitoring risks in Belize, Brazil and Paraguay.

‘Every case we prevent, every outbreak we stop saves lives, protects families, and makes communities healthier,’ said Dr. Barbosa.

‘Today, rather than lamenting the loss of a regional status, we call on all countries to redouble their efforts to strengthen vaccination rates, surveillance, and timely response to suspected cases-reaching every corner of the Americas. As a region, we have eliminated measles twice. We can do it a third time.’

PAHP said it is strongly encouraging countries to continue strengthening surveillance, immunization and outbreak rapid response activities for every suspect case, expand and consolidate electronic immunization registries across all countries, following PAHO’s established guidelines.

It is also urging countries to maintain sustainable laboratory surveillance by allocating sufficient financial and human resources, adding that for suspected cases with clinical and epidemiological risk factors and a negative measles IgM result, with specimens collected within 0-3 days after rash onset, perform PCR testing to confirm or rule out infection.

PAHO reiterated that the Americas have previously faced setbacks, including temporary loss of measles elimination status in Venezuela (2018) and Brazil (2019).

‘The region regained elimination status in 2024 through coordinated regional action.To regain measles elimination status, a country must demonstrate interruption of endemic transmission for at least 12 consecutive months, supported by comprehensive vaccination, surveillance, and outbreak-response data,’ it said.

Dr. Barbosa said that cooperation, solidarity, and science are stronger than any virus ‘because when we work together, we protect the health and lives of all people in the Americas’.

Antigua and Barbuda has signed an agreement with China for the the provision of 1,500 solar-powered street lights and 200 residential photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) units.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) taking place here. The director of the Department of Environment, Ambassador Diann Black-Layne, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.

A government statement said that this initiative represents a major step in advancing the country’s renewable energy transition and aligns with Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and build climate resilience.

It said that the installation of solar street lights will improve public safety and visibility in communities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and lower electricity costs for local authorities.

Additionally, the inclusion of residential PV and ESS systems will allow households to generate and store clean energy, promoting energy independence and ensuring greater stability during power disruptions caused by extreme weather events.

Ambassador Black-Layne said that the partnership underscores the growing spirit of international cooperation in addressing the global climate crisis and demonstrates China’s continued support for small island developing states (SIDS) in achieving their sustainable development and energy transition goals.

Police are probing the death of a 65-year-old Canadian national, whose body was found with several stab wounds outside her home at Bullet Tree Falls, a village in the Cayo District of Belize.

Marty Thorne.

Police said the body of Marty Thorne, the owner of Raw Spa Cabanas, and a well-known member of the community, was was discovered on Monday by one of her employees.

‘Police are investigating the death of 65-year-old Canadian national Marthy Ann Thorn,’ said Assistant Superintendent of Police, Stacy Smith, adding that the caretaker of a property owned by the Canadian said he had not able to locate her.

Smith said that the authorities are now awaiting a postmortem examinatio to determine the cause of death.

The Canadian national, had been living in Belize for several years and had become a familiar face among the Bullet Tree community. Her husband and children lived in Canada.

Justice and Police Minister, Harish Monorath, says he was unaware that he was still receiving payment as a member of the Foreign Exchange Commission (FCO) despite being appointed a government minister.

‘I formally resigned, and protocol dictates that when a member resigns, their name is crossed out and payments are stopped. I’m surprised that funds are still being deposited into my account,’ Monorath told the National Assembly in response to a question asked by opposition legislator, Asiskumar Gajadien, during the General Political Debate (APB) on Monday.

Justice and Police Minister, Harish Monorath

‘I’m surprised that funds are still being deposited into my account. I will write to the Foreign Exchange Commission to inform them that unlawful funds have been paid to me, especially since the office of minister is incompatible with other public functions,’ Monorath told legislators.

Vice President Gregory Rusland promised an immediate investigation into the matter and President Jennifer Simons made an appearance in the Parliament to deal with the situation.

She told legislators that the investigation had shown that the transfers did not originate from the Ministry of Finance, but directly from the Foreign Exchange Commission and asked Monorath to provide his own explanation.

Monorath acknowledged that he had verbally, not in writing, resigned from the FCO when he was appointed a government minister.

Monorath further indicated that he hadn’t checked his bank account, where the funds were deposited, for months.

‘I haven’t been to the bank to check my finances for months, and I don’t have online banking. If it appears I’ve misappropriated any funds, they must be returned immediately,’ said Monorath.

But Gajadien said the case demonstrates the double standards of the government.

‘Whether it’s one month, three, four, or five months, the fact is, it shouldn’t have happened,’ he said, adding that documents from the investigation show that the Foreign Exchange Commission did indeed send a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting that payments to Monorath be halted.

The parliamentary leader of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), Rabin Parmessar, defended Monorath, saying the FCO was not at fault and that the Ministry of Finance should have stopped the payments.

He said a similar case had occurred under the last administration.

‘Former VHP minister Rishma Kuldipsingh also received double salary for months because the Ministry of Finance failed to stop her financial contribution from another public position. ‘Equal treatment, equal treatment-those funds should also be returned,’ Parmessar said.

The Guyana government has confirmed that it is meeting the legal expenses of the Jamaican-born lawyer representing the United States in the extradition matter involving billionaire businessman, Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, an opposition legislator.

The government has approved a payment of US$62,558 to Jamaican King’s Counsel Terrence F. Williams, who, along with attorneys Herbert McKenzie and Celine Deidrick, have been retained to represent the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the extradition matter.

They were retained following advice from Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, who said that the arrangement aligns with international standards.

The United Kingdom-United States (US) Extradition Treaty that Guyana inherited at the time of independence in 1966 requires Guyana to pay the United States-hired prosecutors in the extradition case against the Mohameds.

Article 13 of the United Kingdom- United States Extradition Treaty states that ‘all expenses connected with the extradition shall be borne by the High Contracting Party making the application.

Further, the section of the US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual titled ‘the consular role in international extradition’ states that ‘most extradition treaties require the costs of extradition proceedings (other than translation of documents and costs associated with the transfer of the fugitive) to be borne by the requested country’.

Nandlall said Guyana opted to select foreign lawyers, with the US’ approval, in the case of the Mohameds so as to remove perceptions of bias.

‘In this case, because we wanted to insulate the process from the allegation of political interference, lawyers from outside of Guyana were brought in with the approval of the US government,’ Nandlall told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

‘It is an accepted and well-established principle of extradition law that domestic arrangements sometimes have to be adjusted to facilitate extradition,’ Nandlall said, adding ‘yes, the government of Guyana has to pay for that and anybody can challenge me and call around the Caribbean or anywhere else and find out if that is not the usual practice’.

He made it clear that the prosecutors appearing in the matter represent the Government of the United States, not the Guyana government.

‘That fact is not yet appreciated.The Jamaican attorneys who are in court are representing the interests of the U.S. government. This is standard practice.’

The younger Mohamed, who is the leader of opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has accused the Irfaan Ali government of being behind the moves to have him extradition.

The extradition case stems from a request by the US government for the surrender of the Mohameds, who were indicted by a US Grand Jury in the Southern District of Florida on multiple counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering linked to a gold export operation valued at approximately US$50 million.

While the Attorney General has denied any political motivation, a Facebook page under the heading ‘Team Mohamed,’ posted what it said ‘is the proof’ that the government is trying to fool the country regarding the extradition matter.

It showed a purported copy of an invoice regarding the payment to the foreign lawyers, adding ‘if this matter extends over a five-year period, which is common in cases of this nature, the total legal fees for only the Jamaicans would amount to over $810 Million Guyana dollars’.

The Jamaica Premier League (JPL) is officially set to kick off again on December 7, marking a return after being suspended for over a month due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.

The league was abruptly put on hold on October 23 as the Category 5 storm wreaked havoc across sections of the island, causing significant damage to communities and football infrastructure.

In a statement released Tuesday, Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) CEO Owen Hill confirmed the restart date, praising the resilience of the clubs involved.

‘Our clubs have endured tremendous hardship following Hurricane Melissa, but the spirit of Jamaican football remains unbroken,’ Hill stated. ‘We are eager to get back on the pitch and bring the game back to our fans.’

Echoing the sentiment that football’s role extends beyond the field of play, JFF Competitions Chairman Gregory Daley emphasised the sport’s importance in the national recovery.

‘Football will play a critical role in the healing and rebuilding of our communities,’ Daley said.

The two clubs most severely affected were Montego Bay United of St. James and Treasure Beach FC of St. Elizabeth. Both teams suffered damage to their club infrastructure, while many of their players and staff experienced major losses of personal property.

When the league resumes, it will pick up with nine match weeks already completed. Montego Bay United, who have been directly impacted by the storm, currently lead the standings with 22 points.

President Irfaan Ali Tuesday said that he will fully support the implementation of Guyana’s gas monetisation plan before the end of his term in 2031.

Addressing the Berbice Development Summit Agenda that brought together investors from around the world hoping to explore Berbice resources, Ali said ‘any option that does not allow this country to monetise gas before 2030 will not have the type of support I would like to give’.

President Irfaan Ali addressing Berbice Summit

Ali said the strategy for Guyana’s gas development must include minimal debt financing for the country but maximum foreign direct investment and private sector participation. He said it must also maximise local, regional and diaspora participation while optimising value, resilience, sustainability and reach.

President Ali said that the plan must drive innovation and support local business development, noting that it must also lead to the monetisation before 2030.

‘I am not willing to push monetisation beyond 2030. Constitutionally, I have an election in 2031, and I can’t run again and I’m not leaving this decision for anyone after me.So any option that does not allow this country to monetise gas before 2030 will not have the type of support I would like to give,’ President Ali told the audience.

Guyana’s gas resources is estimated at 17 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and Ali said while he is not an expert on gas, he is an attentive reader and listener and that based on the technical advice he has received, he has narrowed down several options for further pursuit.

He said one scenario is to extract the highest possible value from every molecule of gas.

‘Here, gas fractions are separated and each converted into high-value export products. Methane feeds a blue ammonia urea methanol complex, where carbon dioxide from hydrogen production is reused in urea.

‘Then you have a liquefied petroleum gas – propane and butane – supply a mixed feed steam cracker, a gas-powered data center campus, which has digital export and new technology jobs,’ he outlined, noting that this scenario has the highest value creation.’

President Ali said that the second scenario is the highest employment and inclusion option and that ‘the purpose of this highest employment and inclusion scenario is to create maximum number of jobs and the broadest local participation.

‘This scenario diversifies across several mid-scale industries within the corridor: gas powers and heats, and heat plants for fertilizer, steel using gas-based direct-reduced iron, cement and glass, alumina, agro-processing, and cold storage, and a digital hub.’

He said the third scenario uses low-cost, reliable, gas energy to transform Guyana’s own raw materials into finished goods.

‘This is cheap and stable gas energy, drives industries that upgrade domestic resources, cement and lime from limestone, glass and ceramics from sand, alumina from bauxite, and fertiliser from methane and captured CO2. These industries feed construction, mining, and agriculture. Power and heat are generated internally within each plant, not from a separate utility.’

According to the head of state, scenario four is mega-scale development, noting that a single gas complex would monetise every gas fraction on one site.

‘Methane feeds blue ammonia, urea, and methanol production, mixed feed system cracker and PDH unit to produce plastics. All CO2 is reused on site, and the complex includes its own desalination, water recycling, and export jetty.

‘This project anchors a national petrochemical brand and attracts downstream investors,’ Ali said, noting that every fraction of Guyana’s gas can be transformed into high-value products and jobs.

‘Whether the priority is maximum export value, maximum employment, domestic transformation, or a single mega-project, each scenario builds on the same foundation.

‘Option one, the strategic Berbice investment, is a two-gigawatt data center, two MTPA alumina, and one MTPA gas facility. A liquid natural gas LNG plant, option two, and option three, an LNG plant and data center.

‘Then we have another option, a Berbice region near shore, modular and scalable gas processing, NGL and LPG facility, physical and or virtual pipelines, small-scale LNG to supply gas throughout the region, centralised operation, an LNG depot in Berbice, serving as a logistical backbone for small-scale LNG, an ISO container distribution for future industrialisation of the region, and then a world-class, this one brings together a world-class consortium, as an option’

He said these are the options that are before Guyana and that the importance of the Berbice development agenda is to unlock Northern Brazil, particularly the States of Roraima and Manaus – two of the country’s fastest growing States.

He said that their greatest disadvantage is the journey to get goods into the Atlantic, but that ‘Guyana offers the opportunity to reduce their time to the Atlantic substantially to the point where the deep-water port in Guyana will position these two States as the most competitive states in Brazil’.

President Ali said that the outcomes of the Berbice Development Agenda Summit will feed into the upcoming Energy Conference in February 2026 ‘where we will be launching out the investment platform to put all of this together and to advance the work forward’.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, Tuesday said Guyana now stands among the best-managed new oil-producing countries as Georgetown signed a production sharing agreement (PSA) for the shallow-water Block S4 offshore Guyana with a consortium of international companies comprising QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies, and PETRONAS.

Block S4, located 50 to 100 kilometres off the coast and covering 1,788 square kilometres in water depths ranging between 30 and 100 metres, will be explored in accordance with local regulations and international best practices.

Guyana Tuesday signed a Production Sharing Agreement for the shallow-water Block S4 offshore Guyana with international oil and gas companies.

The signing of the PSA marked the first agreement under Guyana’s new fiscal regime, featuring a US$15 million signing bonus and improved terms that will ensure the nation continues to reap lasting benefits from its oil wealth.

‘We strongly believe that Guyana has one of the better managed oil and gas sectors in the world among new producers and that is something that we are proud of and can go on the rooftops and shout about, because there is evidence to demonstrate it,’ Bharrat said as he spoke at the signing ceremony.

He noted that Guyana oil production had increased from 80,000 barrels of oil per day in 2020 to the current 920,000 barrels, while maintaining full transparency of oil revenues through the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) and ensuring strict oversight of operations by both local and international regulators.

Bharrat said Guyana’s success is not measured by production figures alone, but by its commitment to sustainable and responsible development, reaffirming that the government will continue to pursue oil and gas exploration and production even as it expands its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) and strengthens climate commitments.

‘We are proud to say that Guyana has managed its oil and gas sector responsibly – maintaining high environmental standards while expanding opportunities for our people,’ Bharrat said.

‘We will continue to explore and produce our natural resources, but we will do so sustainably. Our policy is clear: our trees will not stand while our people fall,’Bharrat told the ceremony, adding that the government’s mission is to strike a careful balance between preserving the country’s world-renowned forests and ensuring that Guyanese enjoy the benefits of their natural wealth.

The Natural Resources Minister said Guyana’s progress is rooted in legislative and institutional reforms, including the Petroleum Activities Act, Local Content Act, and strengthened fiscal regime now governing all new petroleum agreements.

He said these reforms have introduced a 10 per cent corporate tax, clearer penalties for non-compliance, and mandatory provisions for decommissioning and liability management – all designed to ensure that Guyana’s resources are developed responsibly and that investors are held to the highest standards.

‘This is not about collecting penalties. It’s about ensuring that work programmes are completed, that there’s real production, and that Guyana benefits from every single barrel produced.’

He commended the technical team at the Ministry of Natural Resources for their round-the-clock efforts to negotiate world-class agreements with oil majors such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, TotalEnergies, PETRONAS, and QatarEnergy.

‘Many of the countries producing oil today have thousands of staff in their ministries. We have a small, young, bright team that works tirelessly – sometimes overnight – to ensure every agreement we sign protects the rights of Guyanese.’

Bharrat said the success of Guyana’s oil and gas sector has defied global expectations and critics who once predicted that the country’s local content legislation would drive away major investors.

‘They said the local content law would close down the oil and gas sector. But today, we are attracting some of the biggest players in the world – QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies, PETRONAS – while delivering opportunities and benefits for Guyanese businesses,’ he said, adding that consultations have already begun to expand Schedule One of the Local Content Act to include more services and higher targets, ensuring that Guyanese workers and companies remain at the centre of the industry’s growth.

Bharrat said Guyana has learned from the mistakes of other petroleum-producing countries, choosing instead to build a model that combines economic progress with environmental protection.

‘We looked at best practices and the mistakes made by others and crafted a model that works for Guyana. Not many countries have been able to align rapid economic development with environmental sustainability. But Guyana has done it, and we will continue to do so.’

He said that the proceeds of the oil and gas sector are already transforming the country through massive infrastructure investments, new hospitals and schools, free tertiary education, and an aggressive housing programme.

‘Our people deserve world-class facilities, a higher standard of living, and the same opportunities enjoyed in developed countries. That is the purpose of this sector – to ensure our people rise while we protect what makes Guyana unique.’

In a statement, the Ministry of Natural Resources said that exploration activities will be conducted in keeping with Guyana’s regulatory requirements and international best practices for environmental protection and resource management.

‘The Ministry of Natural Resources reiterates the government’s commitment to ensuring that all petroleum operations are conducted with the highest levels of environmental stewardship, transparency, and local participation’ the statement said, adding that the ministry ‘looks forward to collaborating closely with the consortium as Guyana continues to strengthen its position as a responsible and emerging energy producer’.

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica late last month, has climbed to 45, Information Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon announced on Tuesday.

She told the daily news conference that the highest number of casualties from the category 5 storm that hit Jamaica on October 28, came from St Elizabeth where 18 fatalities have been recorded to date, followed by Westmoreland with 15.

She urged Jamaicans to pray for the families of the 45 people killed , saying ’45 families are hurting and we pray for those families and ask God to comfort them’.

She said 33 post-mortems have been conducted to date.

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPDEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, said that 15 people have been reported missing.

He said more than 130 buildings have reported some level of damage ranging from partial roof loss to complete collapse. He said an estimated 30,000 households have been displaced as a result of the storm.

The Royal St. Lucia Police Police (RSLPF) Tuesday said that a 25-year-old St. Lucian national has been extradited to the neighbouring French island of Martinique to face multiple criminal charges, including fraud, armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder.

It said that Deshawn Rene was last week formally handed over to a French escort team for transfer to Martinique, in a joint operation between the RSLPF and the Bordelais Correctional Facility (BCF).

‘This marks the fifth extradition to Martinique this year, as St. Lucia continues to strengthen cooperation with French law enforcement in the ongoing fight against transnational crime,’ the police said in a statement.

At the end of October this year, French and St. Lucian security officials agreed on new initiatives aimed at deepening their cooperation in the fight against crime, including drug trafficking.

‘This agreement underscores the mutual trust and shared determination of both countries to confront drug and arms trafficking, threats that pose serious risks to the security and stability of their territories,’ according to the joint statement issued following the two-day ninth meeting of the Joint Security Commission between France and St. Lucia.

The statement said that an agreement was reached to ‘deepen cooperation between security forces in the fight against drug trafficking through intelligence sharing and joint training initiatives.

‘To support this, a St. Lucian police officer will be assigned to the Consulate General of St. Lucia in Fort-de-France in early 2026,’ the statement said, adding that agreement was also reached to ‘combat cross-border crime more effectively by enhancing exchanges between judicial authorities, particularly in matters of extradition and the seizure of criminal assets’.