As the Federation observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the TDC Home and Building Depots are playing their part to raise the level of consciousness about the disease that affects women and men. Pinktober, the annual Sales and Awareness Campaign, gives customers the opportunity to receive ‘pink savings’ with up to forty percent discount on a wide range of products throughout the store, and online at www.shoptdcgroup.com.
The retail stores have also set up the ‘Pink Room’, a private and confidential space in store that offers free breast screenings, by a team of trained and certified health professionals, on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. with the chance to win a free mammogram.
Cont’d from last page) developed and the project launch completed in the three beneficiary regions: Central America, the Andean region, and the Caribbean. Institutional Support Allister Glean, IICA’s representative in Barbados, emphasized the importance of this interinstitutional collaboration to effectively address ASF and announced the intention to strengthen working ties through technical training.
“We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the Official Veterinary Service of Barbados and local producers to strengthen prevention and surveillance measures, ensuring a coordinated and effective response to any eventuality,” stated Glean. Eric Coleman, Director of Emergency Programs at the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlighted the institution’s allocation of resources to bolster emergency preparedness in Central America and the Caribbean related to ASF.
“This project leverages these resources to assist international partners and stakeholders in strengthening surveillance capabilities and preparedness plans to control swine hemorrhagic diseases, particularly ASF, which are spreading in the region and threatening pork producers and processors in the United States and across the Americas,” said Coleman. The USDA’s Puerto Rican team, led by Fred Soltero, played a crucial role in training and supporting the officials of Barbados’ Official Veterinary Service, underscoring the importance of disease containment to prevent its spread to other Caribbean islands.
“The spread of ASF to other countries would pose a significant threat to the regional economy, and containment is essential to protect both producers and the region’s food security,” emphasized Soltero, a USDA veterinarian overseeing the Puerto Rico office. Mark Trotman, Head of the Official Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Nutritional Security of Barbados, announced that the island’s team is better prepared to begin the surveillance stage and ready to apply the knowledge and experiences gained.
“The IICA-USDA technical mission in Barbados was the first effort in the new stage of the project, aimed at implementing a self-sustainable ASF surveillance system in the Caribbean, aligned with the One Health approach and international best practices in agricultural health,” said Ericka Calderon, IICA’sAgricultural Health Specialist and lead of the USDA-IICAASF Capacity Building Project for Central America and the Caribbean.
