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A push for a Tuberculosis Vaccine; is this warranted, and if so why? The World Economic Forum returns to Davos

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Photo by ChinaImages

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

The World Economic Forum (WEF) returned to Davos for its first winter session in three years on January 16th, 2023. Record numbers of government officials and business leaders showed up at the elite annual affair. More than 600 CEOs were in Switzerland, including Wall Street executives such as: JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon, David Solomon from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman.

With climate change top of the agenda, chiefs of major energy companies are back after a COVID-related hiatus, and the claim is that climate change is increasing malaria, and tuberculosis infections, the executive director of the world’s biggest health fund said in Davos on Monday.

“Huge surges in malaria infections followed recent floods in Pakistan and cyclones in Mozambique in 2021,” said Peter Sands, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“Whenever you have an extreme weather event it’s fairly common to have a surge of malaria,” he said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.

The panellists also warned that COVID-19 isn’t yet over and that we mustn’t get complacent. “The problem that we have right now is that since the beginning of 2022, we’ve had enough vaccines to provide whatever countries want. The challenge has been getting the demand,” said Seth F Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

“Part of it is the world says, ‘We’re done with COVID.’ Of course, the virus is not done with us, and what we really need to do is make sure that policy-makers understand that we’re continuing to see new variants and we’ve been lucky that we haven’t had one with very severe disease, or one that can escape existing immunity.

There’s no reason to think that may not happen. So, the best thing we can do is use prevention methods, but also make sure we vaccinate our high-risk populations so they’re protected against severe disease and death.”

We can say one thing, he is right; more and more people are starting to catch wind of the disastrous effects of the vaccine. It has nothing to do with complacency; people are noticing a trend of side effects, and deaths that are not sitting well for them, but I digress…

According to the WHO, in 2021 more than 10 million people fell ill from tuberculosis and 1.6 million people died.

I came across an article titled, “Tuberculosis in People with Compromised Immunity: A Review of Guidelines,” and I learned that Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is transmitted through the air by those who are infected with the bacteria (i.e., coughing).

Patients with compromised immunity have a higher risk of LTBI infection and developing active TB disease. For instance, people with HIV have a higher risk of developing active TB disease compared to HIV-uninfected people due to their compromised immune system and the inability to adequately fight off infection.

You know who else could possibly fit in that category; individuals who have been vaccinated and boosted. Let’s take a look at what science has to say about this.

In an article titled, “Vaccination Alters the Balance between Protective Immunity, Exhaustion, Escape, and Death in Chronic Infections,” they found that vaccination expands the numbers of lymphocytes specific for a given pathogen. However, in some circumstances, increasing the number of antigen-specific lymphocytes may fail to provide protection and instead lead to an adverse outcome following exposure to the pathogen, something they like to call vaccine-induced pathology.

Another article titled, “Vaccination Alters the Balance between Protective Immunity, Exhaustion, Escape, and Death in Chronic Infections,” they speak to the fact that vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED) is a rarely-observed phenomenon whereby vaccination promotes immune responses that exacerbate the disease caused by subsequent infection with the associated pathogen (meaning that your body will actually still catch the disease, because your immune system is compromised). VAED has been observed in humans in three vaccine trials, for vaccines against: dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and measles.

Is it possible that the rise in tuberculosis has everything to do with the vaccine rollout? Timelines do seem to indicate this fact.

Regardless of the well documented science, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

(Director General of the World Health Organization) announced the creation of the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council at a high-level panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

During his opening remarks, he noted that one of the most important lessons from the COVID-19 response is that innovative health interventions can be delivered fast if they are prioritized politically and financed adequately. I want to make note here that no new TB vaccines have been licensed in a century, yet for some reason now, there is a push for them.

“The challenges presented by TB and COVID-19 are different, but the ingredients that accelerate science, research and innovation are the same: urgent, up-front public investment; support from philanthropy; and engagement of the private sector and communities,” said Tedros. “We believe the TB field will benefit from similar high-level coordination.” 

WHO recently commissioned a study on investing in new TB vaccines, which estimates that over 25 years, a vaccine that is 50% effective in preventing disease among young people and adults could avert up to 76 million TB cases.

Furthermore, every dollar invested in a 50% effective vaccine could generate an economic return of $7 in terms of averted health costs and increased productivity. Additionally, some 8.5 million lives could be saved, as well as $6.5 billion in costs faced by TB-affected households, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.

Hmmmmm! 50%  effective; do we really want to take another gamble with our lives? I will let you think about that

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

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Canada passes new law to address wrongful convictions

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

The work of Innocence Canada, formerly known as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) has made a significant difference on the Canadian legal scene. According to the website: www.innocencecanada.com the organization was launched in February 1993 as an extension of the Justice for Guy Morin Committee, which was established in 1993 after he was wrongfully convicted. AIDWYC received widespread media attention due to the work of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who served as its founding Executive Director for over ten years. Carter served nineteen years for a wrongful conviction in a New Jersey prison and was subsequently released.

It was in October 2016 that AIDWYC rebranded as Innocence Canada with a new logo adorn with tally marks to coincide with each exoneration. In a press release issued by Innocence Canada on Thursday, December 12th, 2024, details were announced regarding the passage of Bill C-40. It is titled, “The Miscarriage of Justice Act “and is also known as “David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law.”

The press release notes, “It makes drastic changes to the Criminal Code and creates a new tribunal or commission to address all claims of wrongful conviction. It eliminates our present Ministerial Review process that has for more than 100 years been the only resort for the wrongly convicted.”

In the press release, David’s sister, Susan Milgaard states, “My mother and my brother will be looking down on us and celebrating this new law. I am very grateful it is named after them. They did so much to get this law passed, because they were dedicated to the cause of all the innocent people in prison who had no good place to seek justice. Now they will have a place to go.”

James Lockyear of Innocence Canada states, “Today is a great day for all those wrongfully convicted. Innocence Canada has been advocating for this law for more than 30 years. It will bring Canada in line with other countries that already have a similar commission and be a change for the wrongly convicted and the Canadian criminal justice system.”

It was in 2009 that David Milgaard was wrongfully convicted of the murder in the rape and death of Gail Miller. She was a nursing student at the time. Miller spent 23 years in prison as a sentence. However, in 1992 he was freed and found innocent. Since then, Milgard has actively engaged in advocacy for those who are wrongfully convicted and has worked hard for the establishment of an independent to review cases of wrongful convictions.

The fact that David and his mother, Joyce Milgaard are both deceased and not present to celebrate this day is unfortunate. Milgaard’s sister, Susan states, “It didn’t take a village, it took a country to achieve what we have and thank God for Canada because we’ve done it.”

An independent commission will be established to review potential wrongful convictions rather than the Minister of Justice. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada states, “It is Important that this legislation includes money, personnel, and legal aid funding.”

Ron Dalton of Innocence Canada states, “We’re currently working on 130 cases in our office, and we only have the resources to look at homicide cases.”

A press release was issued on Wednesday, December 18th, by the Department of Justice Canada to highlight the fact that the David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law received royal assent. Innocence Canada states, “All of us at Innocence Canada are delighted by the passage of David and Joyce Melgaard’s Law, which creates a new and independent body of experts to address future claims of wrongful conviction. Justice Minister Arid Virani and his predecessor, David Lametti, deserve great credit for this ground-breaking legislation which will make for an enormous improvement to our criminal justice system.”

The press release outlines some of the purposes of the new independent commission. It notes that it will not be an alternative to the courts. In general, applicants will first need to exhaust their rights of appeal before requesting a miscarriage of justice review by the commission. Furthermore, it “will not decide whether an applicant is guilty, or innocent, and there will be a dedicated victim services coordinator position to support victims and assist with the development of procedural policies especially as it relates to victim notification and participation in a manner consistent with the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.

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The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is in desperate need of emergency and sustainable multi-year funding

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement of a $3.5 million “critical investment” in the Toronto Caribbean Festival by the federal government is good news for the Festival Management Committee (FMC). The announcement was made on Monday, December 16th, 2024, as part of the Fall Economic Statement by the government of Canada. A press release from the FMC referred to the anticipated funding although details such as the release date and others are still unknown.

There has been media attention hinting at the possibility that the Toronto Caribbean Festival could be canceled in 2025, because it came up $2 million short in funding. It was on October 28th, 2024, that MPP Dr. Jill Andrew rose in the Ontario Legislature and informed the Ontario government that the festival was cash strapped. She stated, “The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is in desperate need of emergency and sustainable multi-year funding.” She mentioned the economic importance of the festival to the province and the fact that it costs $2.5 million to run. She called on the provincial government to ensure that the festival is funded adequately beyond the paltry $120,000 that it allocated to it in 2024.

In addition to MPP Andrew’s request for sustainable funding, a petition was launched by the Festival Management Committee. The petition describes vital aspects of the festival and lists ways that it contributes to the: cultural, economic and social life of Toronto. Undoubtedly, the ongoing issue of funding of the Toronto Caribbean Festival is one that will not go away unless, or until the three levels of government: provincial, federal and municipal decides to elevate it to a high level rather than just pay lip service to its importance annually. It is often used as a great photo-op for politicians during the summer.

The press release from the FMC revealed that there was a lot of work that was done behind the scenes prior to the announcement. “This critical investment follows nearly two years of intense advocacy.” This $3.5 million funding will go towards addressing systemic underfunding and highlighting the carnival’s vital cultural and economic contributions to Canada.

Jennifer Hirlehey, Executive Chair of the FMC states, “This achievement reflects the dedication of our team and the collective support from our stakeholders, the Caribbean community business. Together, we have demonstrated the power of unity and a shared vision. This funding will ensure the Carnival remains a dynamic force in Canada’s cultural and economic landscape, inspiring generations to come.”

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The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council continues to unite and inspire young Jamaicans abroad

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Photo featuring Steven Getten

BY RUSHANE FERRON

The Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council (GJDYC) celebrated another milestone with its second annual event held at the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto, Ontario. The gathering, which took place on December 20th, 2024, continued the council’s mission to unite youth across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in celebrating and strengthening their Jamaican heritage.

Spearheaded by GJDYC Canada Representative, Steven Getten, in collaboration with the Jamaican Consulate, the event has quickly become a vital platform for fostering a sense of community among young Jamaicans in Canada. It offers a lifeline to those without close family connections, creating opportunities for: cultural exchange, mentorship, and relationship-building.

This year’s event attracted an even broader audience, drawing second, third, and fourth-generation Jamaicans eager to deepen their ties to their cultural roots. In her opening remarks, Consul Younna Bailey Magalhaes warmly welcomed attendees, emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration within the Diaspora.

Keynote speaker Yanique Williams, Public Policy Director at Uber for Western Canada, delivered an inspiring address encouraging youth to embrace their potential and focus on building strong, supportive networks. Her words resonated with many, highlighting the importance of resilience and community in achieving personal and professional success.

Steven Getten closed the event with a heartfelt reflection on his migration journey and the power of solidarity within the Jamaican community. “Life in Canada may be difficult, but we have a vibrant Jamaican community. Let’s support each other and build together,” he urged.

The event’s success was made possible through the support of generous sponsors, including Grace Foods, JN Group, Keda Law, Nursing and Homemakers Inc., Caribbean Airlines, and Caribbean Queen. These partners provided essential packages for newcomers, students, and youth in need, reinforcing their commitment to uplifting the Jamaican Diaspora in Canada.

As the GJDYC continues to grow, events like these serve as a testament to the power of cultural heritage in uniting and inspiring young Jamaicans abroad. The council remains steadfast in its mission to cultivate a thriving, connected Diaspora that celebrates its shared history while embracing future possibilities.

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