The Use of a Production Function to Evaluate Caribbean Ocean Health Conflicts and Economic Development: Policy Implications.

Central American and Caribbean (CAC) countries enjoy diverse marine environments. The oceans that enclose these coastlines contribute significantly to their economic growth. Industrial expansion and tourism place pressure on the marine ecosystems causing a decline in ocean health.

Factors associated with self-reported symptoms of acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in northwestern Jamaica.

Pesticide poisoning is a major public health concern in developing countries. The authors conducted a population survey among farmers in 3 parishes of northwestern Jamaica to determine the occurrence of acute pesticide poisoning and to identify factors associated with pesticide poisoning. Approximately 16% of 359 farmers who participated in the study reported 1 or more incidents of acute pesticide poisoning within the last 2 years.

HIV/AIDS-related stigma in Kumasi, Ghana.

Objective: To assess HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Kumasi, Ghana.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 104 adults from the four sub-districts in Kumasi was conducted.

Results: Four stigma constructs, employment-based discrimination, screening and identification of HIV positive people, revelation of HIV status and social contact stigma were determined based on reliability measures from responses to the questionnaire.

The economics of adoption and management of alley cropping in Haiti.

The Haitian people are facing serious problems of environmental degradation that threaten the economic livelihoods of many resource-poor farmers. Structures to retard the process of soil loss have been adopted reluctantly and, even when adopted, the management and maintenance have been less than desirable. We evaluate the factors that influence the adoption and management of alley cropping in Haiti.

Human aflatoxicosis in developing countries: a review of toxicology, exposure, potential health consequences, and interventions.

Aflatoxins are well recognized as a cause of liver cancer, but they have additional important toxic effects. In farm and laboratory animals, chronic exposure to aflatoxins compromises immunity and interferes with protein metabolism and multiple micronutrients that are critical to health. These effects have not been widely studied in humans, but the available information indicates that at least some of the effects observed in animals also occur in humans.

Incidence of health crises in tourists visiting Jamaica, west indies, 1998 to 2000.

Background: Tourism is important to the Jamaican economy accounting for approximately 25% of the gross domestic product. Health problems in tourists could have significant impact on the health of the local population, the scarce health service resources, and the tourist industry. This study was conducted to identify health problems most commonly occurring in tourists visiting Jamaica and examine how these problems are managed.