...nearly three-quarters of deaths in The Bahamas are caused by cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis

74% of Deaths Caused by 3 Diseases

The Bahama Journal



According to the World Health Organisation, nearly three-quarters of deaths in The Bahamas are caused by cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Local nutritionist Donovan Ingraham said this much while addressing the Rotary Club of Nassau West yesterday.

Mr. Ingraham, who has several years of experience under his belt and is registered with the United Kingdom’s registry of Voluntary Nutritionists said Bahamians need to start eating healthier and exercising a bit more, as it could be the key to a longer life.

“Scientific studies have shown that the epidemic of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis and even obesity are related to the fact that we are not consuming the proper meals that we should be,” he said.

“The WHO diagnosed in 2008 that the world obesity population was over 1 billion people and of that figure, 200 to 300 of those individuals were overweight. Scientific studies have shown a direct relationship between obesity and non-communicable diseases the ones I mentioned and all other ailments related to non-communicable.”

“With this severe number being so high, we need to not only educate ourselves, but the generations behind us on how to change the epidemic of what’s happening in this country.”

Scharad Johnson, a certified clinical exercise physiologist, meantime urges Bahamians to take the risks of obesity very seriously as it will soon be diagnosed as a chronic disease.

The physiologist pointed to the standard lifestyle Bahamians have adapted of eating a lot of starchy foods and mixing it with very little exercise, even in children.

“We’ve seen a number of children, not only are they not playing outside anymore, but they’re not getting hurt and they’re not socialising with friends, but they’re on video games and computers and socialising that way,” he said.

“Obesity has been a pig epidemic around the world and here in The Bahamas. We see now that at the age of 40, we’re having major heart attacks, family members are dropping down dead and we’re being diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension. Studies have shown that exercise not only works as a way to train for sports or to get muscular. But it’s also used to treat all kinds of non-communicable diseases.”

Mr. Ingraham studied in both the UK and Canada and works along with Mr. Johnson, who has experience in cardiac, pulmonary and orthopedic conditioning at the Bahamas Medical Center.
It’s there that they provide proper nutrition consultation and training for dieting and exercise.

09 August, 2013

Jones Bahamas

Caribbean Blog International

The governing majority has failed us on the Stem Cell Research and Therapy debate ...and so has the official opposition

Talking Sense: Political Hyperbole On The Medical Frontier

By NOELLE NICOLLS

khalilanicolls@gmail.com

WHEN politicians train to be politicians, one of the first lessons they learn is about the use of hyperbole, the art of using obvious and intentional exaggeration to make a point. It is a political tool that Bahamian politicians are very familiar with and use with great frequency (Full disclosure: the media profession is no novice when it comes to the art either)!

With true hyperbole, however, the extravagant statements are not intended to be taken literally; they are intended to make a point.

Trouble is, listening ears often miss the point, and instead come away believing the exaggeration. While talking heads, on the other hand, sometimes buy into their own hype, and use intentional exaggeration to get away with spreading outright lies. Too much hyperbole can really create one messy affair.

Needless to say, one has to be astute to weed through the mess. Let us take, for example, the Stem Cell Research and Therapy Bill, currently being debated in the House of Assembly, which has been painted as “revolutionary” by its proponents.

Much has been said about the benefits that stem cell research will bring to the Bahamas: $100 million annually, new jobs, spillover effects on all areas of the economy, lead scientists who will relocate to the Bahamas and create institutions and centres of excellence, and new medical treatments for Bahamians. The impressive list goes on.

The way in which this adventure is being trumped up has certainly made me weary. For one simple reason: Our politicians have a knack for trumpeting revolutionary projects that never live up to their promise. And I would hate for us to venture into another one of those limp experiments at the expense of matters of real national importance.

Let us not forget, a few years ago, telemedicine was the revolutionary technology that was supposed to transform health care in the Bahamas, “bridging the islands of the Bahamas medically”. The Bahamas was supposed to become a nerve centre for the Caribbean, using the success of connecting the Family Islands as the launch pad for a worldwide breakthrough in the developing world.

The Free National Movement government launched a tele-radiology pilot project in two community-based clinics: The South Beach Clinic in New Providence and Eight-Mile Rock Clinic in Grand Bahama. Radiologists at Princess Margaret Hospital or Rand Memorial Hospital consulted regularly with technicians and patients at the two clinics. They used a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) to store, share and archive imaging data.

The idea was to link the entire Bahamas into the PACS system. International partners could also be plugged in, so a doctor in Nassau would be able to consult with a radiologist at the University of Miami. The government was hoping to use the technology to provide other long-distance services like pre-natal ultrasounds.

The government also launched a virtual skin clinic in Abaco, which treated 42 patients in its first month of operation. The government eventually rolled out the programme in Andros, and had plans to replicate the skin clinic model with paediatric clinics.

The government made some positive inroads with telemedicine, but whatever happened to the promised renaissance?

Recently, a $100,000 telemedicine lecture lab was launched in the oncology centre of PMH thanks to a donation from the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, evidence that the telemedicine dream is still alive, but not evidence of a revolution.

When telemedicine was the hot topic, Dr Hubert Minnis, the Minister of Health at the time, promoted it as a forward thinking project by a visionary government.

“(Telemedicine) is extremely futuristic; that is what this Government is all about. It is not just about today, but it is about tomorrow and tomorrow we will be able to expand that so that not only will we be taking the Emergency Room to the Family Islands, but we will be able to expand the service so that we will be in a position to also take Intensive Care Unit and other facilities to the Family Islands,” said Dr Minnis in 2007, on the occasion of the pilot project launch.

Unsurprisingly, the Progressive Liberal Party government is now framing its interest in stem cell research in the same light, as catching the wave of the future.

Oncologist Dr Arthur Porter, former head of the government’s stem cell task force, predicted a global “renaissance” in the use of stem cell therapy “over the next ten years”. He positioned the government as being forward thinking by getting ahead of the curve.

However, Dr Porter did not predict he would be embroiled in an international scandal just six months after his stem cell prophesy. He is currently being held on an international arrest warrant in connection with an alleged million dollar kickback scheme in Canada, where he faces charges of fraud, conspiracy to commit government fraud, abuse of trust, secret commissions and laundering the proceeds of a crime. Dr Porter denies all of the charges against him.

Nowadays it is hard to take the government seriously, when political leaders have such a loaded track record of rhetorical dishonesty. And it is almost impossible to take the government at its word, when it keeps dangling carrot sticks of some awe-inspiring future that is likely to have no impact whatsoever on the quality of life for the average Bahamian.

During debates in the House, Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez boasted about the story of an infant born in Italy, who was recently treated successfully using stem cell therapy. What Dr Gomez did not say is that tracheomalacia, the condition that afflicted the child causing her to need a new trachea, is a very rare condition. The story is touching, but how relevant is it for the average Bahamian?

Bahamians are afflicted with common diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease. All of these are top contenders for potential stem cell therapies. However, stem cell medicine is still in its infancy, from commercial and scientific points of view.

In 2011, the company that conducted the world’s first Federal Drug Administration approved clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells on spinal cord patients aborted the experiment and left the stem cell business entirely. Geron, the leading Silicon Valley biotech company in question, directed its resources towards experimental cancer drugs, which were much more advanced in their development.

The company was awarded a $25 million loan from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for the trail, but it returned the money: $6.5 million, the amount it had borrowed so far, plus interest.

The company determined it did not have sufficient financing to continue its experiments with stem cells and cancer treatments at the same time. And despite having spent $150 million over 15 years investing in its stem cell treatments, it chose to go with its cancer research.

There may obviously be other factors at play here, but one conclusion that can be drawn at face value is that stem cell medicine is a bad bet for Bahamians hoping for a cancer treatment in this generation.

At best, researchers “estimate that the time lag between research expenditure and eventual health benefits is around 17 years”, according to a report by the Welcome Trust, a UK based biomedical research and the medical humanities firm.

Of course, anything is possible. At the end of the day, treatment is not the same as a cure. The promise of stem cell therapy is a cure for disease.

Either way, stem cell medicine is a highly specialised niche market in the medical field and will likely be so for years to come. It seems doubtful that stem cell treatments for common conditions will become mass market in the near future, based on reports about the industry. At some point, they will be available to an exclusive few by virtue of their cost. And now, they are available to an exclusive few because patients have to meet “a very strict set of criteria” to qualify for treatment, based on rigid clinical research trial protocols.

Last year, when the Bahamas Heart Centre (BHC) in conjunction with Advanced Innovative Medicine Inc of Orlando, Florida, conducted the Bahamas’ first cardiac stem cell implantation, Dr Conville Brown, BHC director and CEO said: “The expansion of the patient’s stem cells is a procedure that generally attracts a price in the region of $20-30,000 just for the cells. And nobody has put them in yet and nobody has taken them from the patient yet, so the general price is somewhere easily around the $40-50,000 range.”

The 62-year-old cardiac patient, who was a medical tourist, had advanced coronary artery disease. He had already undergone bypass surgery on a number of occasions, after his first heart attack in 1989. The stem cell treatment was considered a “last option” before considering a heart transplant.

Stem cell research is not your average field of study. It would be irresponsible to mislead people by hyper inflating the benefits they are likely to reap with rosy portraits of an uncertain possible future.

There is another important aspect of the stem cell debate that needs to be explored. Let us look at our national healthcare needs. If the Bahamas was to aspire to global dominance in any area of medical research, it would seem more prudent to fix our eyes on area of medicine that was a) of great relevance to the Bahamian people, and b) best served by our natural resources, national infrastructure and areas of technical expertise.

An obvious example comes to mind: breast cancer research, considering Bahamian women suffer from the disease at disproportional rates to the rest of the world.

In the government’s speech from the throne, which established its legislative agenda, it committed itself to “facilitating the Public Hospital Authority’s acquisition of new cancer screening technology to ensure that Bahamian women have access to-state-of the art mammogram machines”. Makes sense.

Telemedicine is another good example. It was in fact a good idea (even if oversold), considering we desperately need ways to bring basic and advanced medical services to the remote corners of our archipelago.

Let us examine another healthcare example, an overlooked area of need. There are two main government entities responsible for delivering health care services in the Bahamas: the Public Hospital Authority (PHA), which manages the hospitals and the Department of Public Health (DPH), which manages a network of 55 health centres and 59 satellite clinics across the archipelago.

Every year, we have a flood of young doctors graduating from institutions such as the University of the West Indies (UWI) entering the professional ranks in the Bahamas. And yet, the Department of Public Health is still chronically short on doctors. It has to import doctors from around the world to work in the Bahamas.

How is it that we have so many people entering the medical profession in the Bahamas and yet we still have to import doctors? Here is a problem the government might want to invest some time and money into solving.

Junior doctors, particularly those coming out of the UWI system, are required to participate in a mandatory internship programme with the PHA. Many of them are scooped up by the PHA at the end of their internships and choose to remain in the hospital system, because they are able to continue understudying experienced doctors and develop new skills in areas of specialisation.

If they were employed to the DPH, they would be limited to practising general medicine, for the most part, and have to take up Family Island posts, where they would serve as resident experts unto their own.

Here is a problem that affects the day-to-day lives of Bahamians in an area of critical need. Our medical professionals, particularly young professionals, need greater access to training and more incentives to enter the Department of Public Health’s system.

There, government has a buffet of healthcare needs to choose from: a shortage of doctors in public health, a shortage of surgeons and specialists in the medical profession generally, a breast cancer rate that is out of control, high rates of prostate cancer in our male population, and a long awaited national health insurance scheme, among other immediate concerns. A responsible government would channel its resources and build human resource capacity in areas of true need for its people.

Sadly, none of this logic seems to matter because stem cell research in the Bahamas has a celebrity champion with money to spend.

I am reminded of the research I did last year about the funeral services industry. For decades, the government has failed to enact regulations to bring the industry in order. It is the wild wild west in funeral services in the Bahamas.

The lax regulation of sanitation standards, for example, is having a serious impact on public health. The nonexistent regulation of funeral service practitioners has given birth to players who employ embalming and burial practices that dishonour the dead.

The government has turned a blind eye. Meanwhile, families, according to members of the industry itself, are “being bamboozled” by the system, and our dead are being habitually dishonoured. The government has no shortage of excuses for its failure to act. Apparently, it is waiting on the industry to come forward with its own draft regulations.

The whole matter forces us to ask serious questions about how the government establishes its legislative priorities. Perhaps the funeral services industry needs to get itself a celebrity backer. Because stem cell medicine, a priority only for a few private medical companies prior to 2012, has managed to become a front burner issue for the government when it was never on the legislative agenda to begin with.

When the Stem Cell Research and Therapy Bill becomes law, the obvious question will be how is the government going to set its budgetary priorities in the health sector?

The government recently announced a possible new partnership with the University of Miami, who might help the government with its regulation of the industry. I am curious to know what kind of government resources will be allocated to the regulation and oversight of this industry, and sustaining a relationship with the University of Miami. Will the taxes associated with the industry sufficiently cover all of the government’s incurred expenses?

What frustrates me about how the stem cell debate has evolved is that our foray into the industry could have gone down without much fanfare or controversy, with sobriety and restraint, had it been a side project for which the government was only obligated to get involved in from a regulatory point of view to ensure public safety and the rule of law.

But no, the project has become a side show, having been trumpeted as “ground zero” for the next medical revolution in the Bahamas, based on claims that have not been sufficiently substantiated.

Stem cell technology might be revolutionary in the field of medical science, but it is not at this juncture the revolutionary answer to our healthcare needs or our economic woes.

The governing majority has failed us in this debate and so has the opposition. Both have wasted the people’s time overplaying their hands, proffering base arguments that have caused more confusion than clarity, more petty squabbling than true debate.

I hope discussion ends on this bill quickly, so the government can proceed to matters of true concern. And I hope any expense incurred by the people on this stem cell adventure is offset by fees and taxes paid by those who have the real vested interests.

• Noelle Nicolls is the Tribune’s Features Editor. She is also a travel writer, women’s activist and entrepreneur. Follow her on Twitter @noelle_elleon. For questions or comments, email khalilanicolls@gmail.com.

August 06, 2013

Tribune 242 

Caribbean Blog International

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Our shared values are enough to unite us ...and make true emancipation a reality in our Commonwealth of The Bahamas

The journey toward true emancipation

BY ARINTHIA S. KOMOLAFE

The United Kingdom passed an act abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire 180 years ago.  The act effectively ended slavery on August 1, 1834; however, due to the apprenticeship program, full freedom never came until 1838, during which time slave masters were required to teach slaves how to work and survive for themselves.  This period was intended to ensure a smooth transition for the freed slaves allowing them to adapt to a life of independence.  The magnitude of this event explains the fact that Emancipation Day is widely commemorated throughout the Caribbean annually.

 Confronting the shackles on our minds

The phrase “emancipate yourself from mental slavery” was coined by pan-Africanist Marcus Mosiah Garvey and later popularized by Jamaican artist Bob Marley in his rendition of the track “Redemption Song”.  Through his words, Garvey articulates the notion that human beings are responsible for freeing their own minds from mental bondage despite having been physically freed by their oppressors.  Implicitly, his words admonish us to think for ourselves, take stock of our own reality and draw conclusions on how we can best achieve positive, fruitful and productive results.

In today’s society, the media plays a major role in shaping our thought process through music, dance, film, the Internet and other news outlets.  Regrettably, the convenience offered by the media and technology appears to have stifled the exercise of our beautiful and indomitable minds resulting in the average human being unwilling to think for himself or herself.  In the workplace, some have become comfortable and complacent in deferring to their bosses to think on their behalf.  Congregants in religious establishments have in some cases also abdicated their prerogative to think or study to their leaders while the populace seems to be content with the responsibility for government policy and national development being vested solely in our political leaders with little or no input from the people most impacted by the same.

The path to full liberty

The freedom from physical shackles is but a first step towards true emancipation.  Indeed, true emancipation is nothing more than an illusion without the emancipation of our minds; and mental liberty will only come with a paradigm shift in our thinking.  The famous quote that “knowledge is power” holds much message in our quest because the acquisition of knowledge enables us to discern for ourselves and sets us on the path for true emancipation.  Further, love for ourselves and clear understanding of our true calling and purpose in life positions us for a fulfilling destiny and an opportunity to achieve set goals through focus, ambition and determination.

It is true that of all the things that men can acquire in this world, there is no guarantee that they will not lose them at some point in time.  However, knowledge attained stays with one forever and despite life’s ups and downs and the challenges and losses that we may face, the same knowledge that we attained to achieve some lost possessions can be retrieved once more by applying our knowledge through lessons learned in life either formally or informally.  This reality is embodied in the following words of Henry Ford: “If money is your hope for independence, you will never have it.  The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.”

Adopted philosophies and boundaries

The passage of the Abolition of Slavery Act paved the way for our physical freedom, a first step in the process of revealing to us that we were not less than our masters, but that we deserved equality.  Truly, this is one of the major desires of mankind – equality in all that we do.  About 120 years after the abolition of slavery, the journey toward majority rule in The Bahamas commenced.  This journey filled with all of its struggles took several decades but ultimately set the foundation for both political and economic freedom.  This journey continued until the Bahamian people experienced the rebirth of our nation with the attainment of political independence in 1973.  Alas, economic freedom still evades us albeit we continue our voyage as a people towards this goal.

As we celebrate the 180th anniversary of the passage of the aforesaid act, one cannot help but wonder whether we the Bahamian people are enslaved to another’s mind-set.  Garvey had rightly postulated that “the man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind”.  The next chapter of our history must be written with greater participation of every one of us using the gift of our minds to pull ourselves from a dependent society to trailblazing and independent powerhouses.

The positioning of Bahamians

The next era in our existence requires a sense of pride in being a Bahamian.

Entrenched in this pride is appreciating all things Bahamian and understanding that we are capable of ruling ourselves in all forms and on all levels – that we ourselves are the masters and rulers of our own destiny.

The term ‘Bahamians First’ must not only be a proclamation, but also a fact and should be evidenced in our policies and programs without destroying the essence of capitalism.  This is bearing in mind that there is no other place on earth where Bahamians can be kings and queens other than in The Bahamas.  In this sense, we as the people of this land and our leaders must work together to renew the minds and shape the destiny and future of successive generations of Bahamians.

The concessions granted to investors should promote economic development and the empowerment of Bahamians.  As Bahamians begin to stretch their minds and broaden their thinking, the government must roll out the red carpet to accommodate our ideas and dreams.  The government and private sector in partnership will determine the content of our scorecard on economic empowerment over the next 40 years.  The Bahamian people have built these walls with their sweat and tears with minimal ownership thereof; the time to possess has come.

One common purpose

The clarion call to begin the process to free our minds is a general one.  However, while we all must play a part in this metamorphosis, our political leaders must be a driving force of this paradigm shift and new environment.  The government must effectively communicate its plan to advance the economy, working with the private sector and other stakeholders.  Our economic policies and national institutions must be conducive to the average Bahamian progressing and being all that he or she can be.  Then and only then will more Bahamians be able to live the Bahamian Dream.

The major feats accomplished in our existence as a nation have been made possible due to the cooperation and working together of people of diverse races, backgrounds, political affiliations and social status.  Political leaders have also been a part of our past struggles.  Hence, the meeting of minds and unity of purpose is important to drive the emancipation from mental slavery and the achievement of economic empowerment for all Bahamians.  In the final analysis, we share a common purpose for justice, equity, education, security and equal opportunity for our people.  Our shared values are enough to unite us and make true emancipation a reality in our commonwealth.  Happy Emancipation Day!

 

• Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law.  Comments can be directed at commentary@komolafelaw.com.

August 06, 2013

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Homosexuality - Spiritual AIDS

By Lambert Sands
Marriage Mechanics Ministries



Several days ago, national media organizations carried a breaking news story of the changing position of the Roman Catholic Church toward homosexuality. Whereas, it was nothing more than an embellishment of impromptu and ill-advised remarks made by the Pope, it showcased the ambition and drive of the homosexual agenda to promote the acceptance of the vile and heinous sin of homosexuality throughout the world.

Without doubt, recently, there has been an avalanche of homosexual stories in the media. Many of the stories are exaggerations, misinformation, and sometime very morbid and crude untruths meant to show homosexuality as a natural and viable lifestyle. People are told homosexuality can be found among various species of animals, so humans, being primates, are perfectly normal if they are homosexuals. Professional players are being reprimanded for inappropriate homosexual comments. Then, the wife of President of the United States, called a homosexual person to congratulate him for “coming out” or openly letting everyone know that he was a homosexual, and the list goes on.

Sadly, most people are not even aware of impact and the significance of this torrent of homosexual information passed on as being normal and innocuous. The media, especially in America and the UK, show a decided bias never allowing stories about the opposite point of view to be told or showcased (I guess it would be considered hate speech or some form of phobia). Thus, the avalanche continues unabated, with younger people and a new generation who have no fundamental religious upbringing or teaching, destined to accept and embrace homosexual doctrine. They are unsuspectingly being infected with the spiritual HIV virus.

During the 1980s was our first encounter with the dreaded HIV virus which struck first at the homosexual community. The virus immobilizes and destroys the human immune system. The resulting condition and disease is called AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The disease doesn’t kill you; however, it leaves the body defenseless to the ravages of all other diseases including the common cold. People who contracted AIDS during the 1980s died quick and untimely deaths causing much fear and trepidation among various communities.

Similarly and spiritually, homosexuality has the appearance of toleration; live and let live: and we have a right as consenting adults to do whatever we desire; but it’s a mirage and teaser for greater and more profound wickedness and debauchery leading to the end of civilization. Male and female represent the foundation of civilization. If we recognize and accept a man pretending to be a woman or a woman pretending to be a man as normal, we then endorse Satan’s greatest and most vile deception…isn’t it a deception for someone to pretend to be something that they are not???? Like Satan pretends to be God??? You see, if you accept homosexuality, a man having sexual relations with another man or a woman having sexual relations with another woman, then, what about polygamy; what about bestiality (apparently now on the rise), what about lowering the age of sexual consent; what about a man and his daughter, mother and son; and the devilish list can go on? Evil then multiplies exponentially, thus, the “AIDS” effect of homosexuality. Wow!

My friend, homosexuality is not a new phenomenon. It’s an old, very old perverse sin and spiritual disease that led to the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is true! This is real! This has happened! “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (2 Peter 2:6-8)

We, the human race, are known for this one thing: repeating mistakes! We love doing the same things over and over again hoping for a different result. We get smart; we invent stuff; we feel enlightened; we have money; then, we become prideful and stupid. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, …For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” ( Romans 1:26-28)

Then, God has to step in and clean it all up like Sodom and Gomorrah and in Noah’s time. “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:26-27) “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:28-30)

Homosexuality signals judgment! We are headed in this direction with-I may add-speed! The Lord continues to warn us, especially the spiritual leaders in America and the western world who love to point fingers at the government to create a smokescreen for their own wickedness. You see, if there is no revival, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ does not travail in prayer and revival, the Lord himself will judge. This generation will not pass away until everything is fulfilled. That means dire judgment!!! Remember Sodom and Gomorrah! Remember Noah! Lot waited until it was too late before running around like a chicken with his head chopped off telling everyone about the impending doom. The present church is no different. Living lavishly in the present world, we are that Laodicea church, rich in goods and believe we have need of nothing. (no real evangelism) (Revelations 3:14-22) Yet, we are divorced, selfish, self-centered and without spiritual illumination. God help us!!

We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth. We have a job to tell our neighbors about the Living Christ and the God who can save any one. We are to share God’s love with the world. Before my wife passed away, she did this: There was a young man who was a homosexual that worked at a large department store where I live. When we visited the store, he seemed to vault his homosexual behavior. He would throw his hips. He would act real feminine and the like. One day, my wife witnessed to him telling him about the love of Jesus and praying with him. About two weeks later, when I visited the store, he ran up to me to tell me about his new found relationship with Jesus Christ. He was simply ecstatic! He didn't have religion, no, he had a real relationship with the man called Christ! He recounted to me how he found Christ and his new devotion to witnessing and telling others about Christ. God is still in the saving business…let’s get busy and put a stop to the AIDS disease!

Lambert Sands

Caribbean Blog International

Archbishop of Nassau, the Most Reverend Patrick C. Pinder on Pope Francis' question: ...“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

Archbishop Pinder: Pope Francis’ comments on gays ‘refreshing’

Catholic teaching calls for homosexuals to be treated with dignity and not marginalized

BY SHAVAUGHN MOSS
Guardian Lifestyles Editor
shavaughn@nasguard.com

Pope Francis struck a conciliatory stance towards gays when he asked: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” And that people should not be marginalized for their sexual orientation. He said “they must be integrated into society” during an extraordinary 82-minute exchange with reporters aboard his plane returning from his first papal trip to celebrate World Youth Day in Brazil.

It’s a sentiment Archbishop of Nassau Patrick Pinder says is a “refreshing one”, but that it should be noted that the pope prefaced his statement by saying the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official statement of the church’s teaching is very clear about what it has to say. Catholic teaching calls for homosexuals to be treated with dignity and not marginalized.

“I think he emphasized that these people should not be marginalized,” said Pinder. “And I think that has been pretty much the theme of his pontificate so far that nobody is to be marginalized. And I think in terms of an approach, it’s certainly a refreshing one.”

While the comments did not signal a change in Catholic teaching that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered”, they indicated a shift in tone under Francis’ young papacy and an emphasis on a church that is more inclusive and merciful rather than critical and disciplinary.

Francis’ stance contrasts markedly with that of Benedict who signed a document in 2005 that said men who had deep-rooted sexual tendencies should not be priests.

Gay leaders around the world were reportedly buoyed by Francis’ approach saying the change in tone was progress in itself, although for some the encouragement was tempered by Francis’ talk of gay clergy’s “sins”.

Pinder said he had not gotten a lot of reaction at home to the pope’s statement but he believes people understand his statement in its context.

“This is not any kind of earth-shaking change in the church’s position,” he said. “It’s basically a whole new approach … and I think it’s warm, it’s welcoming, it’s inviting. What he (pope) has really been saying is there are options and ways in which we can approach our ministry that are open to us without in any way being any radical disjuncture from what we firmly believe. And I think that’s what he’s seeking to do, and what he’s done very well, and it’s been good. And I think that has been pretty much the theme of his pontificate so far – that nobody is to be marginalized. And I think in terms of its approach, it’s certainly a refreshing one.”

Francis’ comments came during his first news conference as pope. And they were wide-ranging and open, touching on everything from the greater role he believes women should have in the Catholic Church to the troubled Vatican Bank. Francis did not dodge a single query.

He said he wanted a greater role for women in the church, though he insisted “the door is closed” to ordaining them as priests.

Asked about his thoughts on the theology of women’s role in the Catholic Church, Pinder said that he could never say anything contrary to the Holy Father and agreed that no one baptized is to be alienated from the life of the church. He said that was the underlying emphasis of Francis’ ministry has been good.

Many people around the world are viewing Francis as someone who is restoring the credibility of Catholicism with his openness, and displays of simplicity like boarding a plane carrying his own black bag, an unusual break with Vatican protocol and a style that separates him from previous pontiffs.

“His (Francis’) papacy has been good so far, but I think it will take more than just a couple of months for the papacy to restore what you may refer to as credibility. I believe the measure of his papacy will have to be over a longer period. But I think he has brought a whole new style to the exercise of the ministry,” said the archbishop.

Pinder said the new and engaging style that Francis has brought with him to the office has been wonderful, and that because of the pope’s actions and words, the world has become infatuated with him.

He (Pope) has brought a whole new and engaging exercise to the office, and I think that’s all for the good, and I think that’s wonderful. He has a very warm and endearing style [and] you’ve seen that in so many of his actions and words and I think that’s very important to seek to get people to understand that the message of the Gospel is something that’s warm; that’s inviting,” he said.

Pinder, who has yet to meet the Holy Father as yet, said he is looking forward to the official visit he will have with him next year when he visits Vatican City.

August 01, 2013

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

The Stem Cell debate has been hijacked by talk about Peter Nygard ...who is very interested in the use of stem cells for anti-aging treatments...

Talking Sense: The Economics Of Stem Cells

by NOELLE NICOLLS

khalilanicolls@gmail.com

IMAGINE living in a world where a drug-free fix for HIV/AIDS existed, or a cure for cancer, blindness, Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease, even Lou Gehrig’s disease. Advocates of stem cell research are driven by this vision. They say the promise of stem cell therapy is the birth of a new medical paradigm more revolutionary than the advent of the internet.

Some even believe stem cell therapy is the key to immortality. As a result, those pursuing medical breakthroughs in the field are often driven by an age old obsession to find the magical elixir of life.

However, it is not just anti-aging obsessives who support stem cell research. Legitimate, professional medical researchers have sound reasons to be optimistic about the positive impact stem cell treatments could have on public health.

There are also investors who want to cash in on new medical breakthroughs. There are also patients suffering from incurable diseases or chronic disorders praying for stem cell therapy to be their miracle cure.

Debate on The Bahamas’ potential foray into the world of stem cell research and regenerative medicine has touched on some of the moral and ethical issues, but there has been virtually no debate of the economics of stem cell research. The government’s economic claims have gone unchallenged.

For the most part conversation has been hijacked by talk about a millionaire fashion designer who is very interested in the use of stem cells for anti-aging treatments and happens to be an investor in the Bahamas. When debate resumes in the House of Assembly next week, I hope it will turn to more substantive issues.

Despite all of the reasons that make stem cell research an important area of medical study, it remains controversial. ‘Frankenstein’ scenarios aside (as stem cells could unlock the key to human cloning) the primary reason for controversy is concern over the harvesting of human embryonic stem cells, which are highly favoured among all types of stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells are harvested from human embryos when they are only days old. These embryos are usually destroyed as the cells are extracted. Most religious institutions have strong moral objections to the harvesting of embryonic stem cells, arguing for the sanctity of life, even at the embryonic stage. However, many support the use of adult stem cells and amniotic stem cells, which come from umbilical cord tissue.

In countries that allow the harvesting of embryonic stem cells - Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom - these cells are obtained from surplus embryos at in vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics.

Last year, the government’s task force took a stand against the use of controversial embryonic stem cells in the Bahamas, while sanctioning the use of adult and amniotic stem cells.

Although the committee first reported its findings late last year, debate reignited when the government tabled a Stem Cell Research and Therapy Bill along with draft regulations in the House of Assembly in April.

The new law will create a regulatory framework covering all aspects of stem cell research, including clinical and pre-clinical research, the use of non-human animal research subjects; and therapeutic uses in people.

The opposition’s main argument against supporting stem cell research in the Bahamas is concern over the proper enforcement of laws governing the industry. In our country of lax government regulation, the concern is valid; perhaps not sufficient to sabotage the government’s efforts, but valid nonetheless, given the high risks posed by the industry.

It is certainly plausible that one of the reasons the Bahamas is perceived as a favourable destination for stem cell research, when it does not have competitive infrastructure to supporting an industry of medical research, is its lax regulatory environment. It is certainly plausible that unscrupulous researchers, investors or medical practitioners could prey on the Bahamas while advancing their own personal agendas.

We all know a little too well that having a law on the books in the Bahamas is not the same as having a strong regulatory environment with robust systems of oversight. But the illusion of a legal framework could provide the prefect cover for unethical players.

The economics of medical research

If we put concerns about government oversight aside for the moment, and questions of morality and ethics; if we take the government at its word that its interest in stem cell research is not some kind of political payback, or at least a political nod, to Mr Nygard for alleged political contributions, there is still one glaring issue that has gone unchallenged.

It is the economics of medical research and the economics of stem cell medicine.

The Stem Cell Research Bill has been called “revolutionary”. It has been portrayed as having the power to “catapult the health sector” in the Bahamas and revolutionise medicine. When Prime Minister Perry Christie tabled the bill, he said stem cell projects “promise to attract leading scientists” who will relocate to the Bahamas and “conduct research, establish institutions and centres of excellence”. Mr Christie said many young Bahamian scientists and physicians will gain new skills and new opportunities. That the industry will generate new jobs at many levels, and will fuel accelerated growth in the economy. The industry will have spillover effects on all areas in the economy, including the tourism industry.

“Our young Bahamian scientists and doctors will be able to establish thriving professional lives right here in The Bahamas. They will then be able to contribute back to our community in the years to come, as well as to the international community,” said Mr Christie.

The government has boasted that stem cell research could inject more than $100 million into the Bahamian economy annually. Peter Nygard has touted the idea that a stem cell centre in the Bahamas could raise to the status of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, which caters to thousands of people around the world and employs some 50,000 people.

In the context of a stagnant economy, these words sound like to me a Junkanoo orchestra: sweet to the ears. Rhetorically, it is easy to connect the dots between stem cell research, regenerative medicine, medical tourism and economic development for the Bahamian people. At the rhetorical level, the relationship between these four elements represents a magic formula for pandering to populist sentiment.

Who wouldn’t want to be associated with a medical breakthrough that could cure all of the world’s ills? Who doesn’t like the sound of an economic stimulus that requires no investment on the part of the government, only the simple passage of a new bill?

In reality, sweet words do not make for sound economic policy.

There are deep, uncharted chasms between each step on the trajectory from private investment in stem cell research to economic profit for the Bahamas as a whole.

I am bewildered by the level of hype being generated around the issue, when the evidence does not seem to support many of claims being made, and our national needs do not justify them.

Let us unpack the economic issues first.

In the United States, studies show medical research has a positive economic impact. However, much of that success is attributed to a private/public sector funding partnership. Government funding accounts for approximately 36% of total research funding, according to some estimates. In 2003, for example, the National Institute of Health (NIH), the largest federal agency of medical research, was responsible for 28% (about US$26.4 billion) of the total biomedical research funding spent annually in the US. In 2009, the NIH injected $15.6 billion research dollars into medical schools and teaching hospitals alone. In places where medical research is highly successful from an economic impact point of view, there is a large sum of government money being spent. Unless I missed it, I have not heard the Bahamian government talking about investing in stem cell research or regenerative medicine, only legislating it.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published a 2009 report, summarising the economic and employment impact from federal and state funded research in the 25 states (plus the District of Colombia). Number one on the list: California (population 38 million). The total direct and indirect economic impact of the medical research industry for California from the AAMC network was $5,360 million (as in $5.3 billion). The employment impact on the other hand was only 35,734. Number 25 on the list was Iowa. With a population of 3 million people, the economic impact on Iowa was $400 million; while the employment impact was 2,719 jobs.

If our government is projecting a $100 million industry for the Bahamas (with a population of 0.4 million), where does that really place us in the grand scheme of things? $100 million sounds like a large number at first glance, but further analysis is required to assess its true value. Does $100 million reflect a projection of total spending, total revenue, total tax revenue, all of the above? And how many permanent jobs would an industry of this size actually produce? Is the $100 million projection speaking specifically to stem cell research or also stem cell therapy, because research and clinical treatment are two different things. Stem cell research is still in its infancy, which means stem cell treatment is still in a state of trial; it is not practiced widely at the clinical level. So I ask again, what exactly is the economic model?

In California, $1.5 billion in committed research grants to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is generating $286 million in new tax revenue for the state and local governments through 2014, according to a study conducted by Emeryville-based global consulting firm Berkley Research Group. CIRM was established by the state government in 2004 with the passage of the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act.

It released an independently produced economic impact study measuring the stem cell agency’s financial impact on the state. The study found that the same grants will generate an estimated $530 million in tax revenue for the federal government.

There are models of success out there, but it goes without saying, California’s success, for example, is not a blueprint for the Bahamas. The markets are completely different. For one, California has the infrastructure to support a medical research industry: legal framework, sources of funding, technical expertise, supply chain, demand for services. Without the infrastructure or “risk-sharing partnerships”, any high risk industry will likely operate at 100 times the cost with 100 times the liability.

In the Bahamas, a few private ventures that represent isolated pockets in a global industry (no matter how world class they may be) will not automatically propel the Bahamas into global dominance. We should have learned that lesson from the tourism industry.

Bahamas Heart Centre

As a case study, let us look at the Bahamas Heart Centre (BHC), which entered the record books last year by performing the Bahamas’ first cardiac stem cell implantation in conjunction with Advanced Innovative Medicine Inc of Orlando, Florida. A very advanced team of doctors treated a 62-year-old cardiac patient who had advanced coronary artery disease by implanting some of the patient’s own stem cells into his heart. The patient, a ‘medical tourist’, had already undergone by-pass surgery on a number of occasions, after his first heart attack in 1989. The stem cell treatment was considered a “last option” before considering a heart transplant. He was eligible for this experimental treatment after meeting “a very strict set of criteria” to qualify, based on rigid clinical research trial protocols.

I congratulate the Bahamas Heart Centre on this successful treatment, and should they be able to save more lives with their stem cell therapy I support them doing so. However, I would be interested in speaking with the BHC’s chief financial officer. I highly doubt the medical facility has plans to change its business model to invest everything it has in stem cell treatment.

For not-so-sinister business reasons, offshore clinical trials are being promoted in places like China by leading centres of stem cell research for the same reasons corporate America outsources many of its business processes. In fact, China has picked up traction in the stem cell research race. So perhaps the Bahamas could become a hub for offshore clinical trials if it could help businesses lower their development costs. In this light, the BHC’s work can also be seen as a success.

Nonetheless, stem cell treatment for the foreseeable future is likely to be a small line item in the centre’s over revenue model, I would suggest.

Big Pharma

It might be the star player in the BHC’s research and development or clinical trials department, but it is not likely to be the foundation of their business model. Simply put, “the stem cell and regenerative medicine market is still in its commercial infancy” despite the scope of opportunities that exist. This, according to the Stem Cell Network (SCN), a Canadian not-for-profit corporation that funds applied stem cell research and facilitates collaboration between universities, industry, government and non-governmental organisation.

According to the SCN, Big Pharma is not even on board with stem cell medicine, because the economics are too uncertain.

“Cell-based biologic products represent both new technology and a business model that remains largely unknown, but is certainly different from traditional drug or device development. Drug and device companies are proceeding cautiously, and waiting to see who emerges from the 100 or more stem cell companies now operating around the world, most of which tend to lack the critical mass and the clinical, regulatory and manufacturing capabilities to establish a sustainable product portfolio and technology pipeline,” states SCN.

Former Fortune senior editor Jeffrey M. O’Brien publish a 2012 article investigating the stem cell business. His research showed that “shares in almost any public stem cell company can be had for less than $1. One of the highest fliers, Stem Cells Inc. (STEM), reached $171 a share once upon a time. In mid-September it was trading at 95�.”

The first-ever clinical trial for embryonic-stem-cell therapy approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States was conducted by Geron, a leading Silicon Valley biotech company. Geron injected four spinal-cord patients with its stem-cell therapy. The treatment had previous success enabling paraplegic rats to walk. The company shut down its clinical stem cell trial months after it began, blaming difficult economic conditions. Reports indicated “the treatment did not show the immediate promise many had hoped”. The company, however, said it wanted to concentrate resources on two new and promising cancer drugs”.

Advanced Cell Technology (ACTC), another biotech company, picked up the slack. Its chief scientist Robert Lanza has made substantial progress in treating a type of blindness (macular degeneration), a condition that affects tens of millions of people, where spinal-cord injuries only represent a market of tens of thousands. ACTC has not figured out the economic model either. One report said ACT “has been scratching and clawing to survive for years”, dealing with a range of problems from raising venture funding to settling patent-infringement lawsuits.

When ACTC received FDA approval to commence clinical trials in 2010, it had already “spent upwards of $100 million on research”, according to reports.

No matter which way you spin it, the economics do not seem to be there - at the moment. For the Bahamas, stem cell medicine could be a hyped-up experiment with an empty payoff or it could be a forward thinking move by a bold government. Either way, it is a matter that could have been handled with much less fanfare and controversy.

Dangers of distraction

Debate about the stem cell bill has become a colossal national distraction, not because discussing stem cell medicine itself is a waste of time; but its advocates seem incapable of presenting sober arguments that tell the full picture; and they seem motivated by the hype. Debate has degraded into political squabbling, dreams of immortality and ‘Frankenstein’ science.

There is no doubt that advanced breakthroughs in clinical stem cell therapy could transform the Bahamas and the world. There is hardly anything to debate when it comes to the medical possibilities; they are bewildering and awe-inspiring.

But what is most relevant to the debate at this time is not the dream of a brave new world where incurable diseases are as obsolete as floppy disks, it is the notion that stem cell research and regenerative medicine can provide a viable economic stimulus for the Bahamas. It would be good if our leaders could sit across the aisle like adults and debate serious issues with competence, restraint and intellectual honesty.

As if the economics of stem cell medicine were not enough to fully explore the matter, there is also the matter of establishing our national health priorities. Next time, I plan to look at how our vigorous push for stem cell medicine contends with our national health priorities and the treatment opportunities that will open up for Bahamians in the near and long-term future.

I will also look at the government’s obsession with “revolutionary” projects that never live up to their promise. Remember the former government’s telemedicine project, which was also supposed to be a revolutionary technology that would transform health care in the Bahamas and put us on the map?

I support stem cell research in theory, and if we are to venture into the area (as private companies have already done in the Bahamas), there should be government regulation. But I do not support stem cell research becoming a national distraction. When debate resumes in the House of Assembly next week, I caution the government, as the old people say, when you lie with dogs you catch fleas. My advice to the government is to approach the conclusion of this stem cell debate with sobriety and restraint. Not everyone in the Bahamas deals in dreams. Some of us deal in fact.

Noelle Nicolls is the Tribune’s Features Editor. She is also a travel writer, women’s activist and entrepreneur. Follow her on Twitter @noelle_elleon. For questions or comments, email khalilanicolls@gmail.com

August 01, 2013 

Tribune 242 

Caribbean Blog International