RTC Director

MOHS PARTICIPATES IN UKOTS PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE 2025

The Ministry of Health and Human Services was represented at the 2025 UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) Public Health Conference held under the theme "Collaborative Approaches to Risk Communication" at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, from June 23–27, 2025.

Attending on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands were Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chief Medical Officer, and Mr. Lynrod Brooks, Director of Health Policy and Planning.

Hosted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under its Civil Resilience Programme, the conference convened Chief Medical Officers and senior technical officers from several UK Overseas Territories including Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands – as well as from the Crown Dependencies, St. Helena, Ascension and Gibraltar.

The week-long event featured a range of expert-led sessions and workshops, focusing on strengthening risk communication and public health resilience across the UKOTs. Key agenda items included:

Introduction to Behavioural Science-Informed Risk and Crisis Communication
Good Practice for Effective Crisis Communication
Crisis Alert! A Scenario-Based Exercise
Identifying Key Health Threats and RCCE (Risk Communication and Community Engagement) Needs – Workshops Parts 1 & 2
Civil Food Resilience in the UKOTs
Risk Communication and EPRR (Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response) Frameworks
Practical Approaches to Risk and Crisis Communication
Communicating Risks in Violence Prevention: Public Health Approaches
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During Crisis
Responding to Emerging Infections
Antimicrobial Resistance: Assessing the Global Threat
Cervical Cancer Elimination and RCCE
Tackling Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Vaccine Hesitancy
Enhancing Comprehensive Prevention and Management of Diabetes – Interactive Session

A highlight of the conference was the keynote address delivered by Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England. In his address, he emphasized both progress and persistent challenges in global public health.

Commenting on the importance of the conference, Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chief Medical Officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands, stated, “This gathering provided a critical opportunity to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange across the Overseas Territories, particularly around preparedness and response to public health threats. Strengthening health security remains a top priority for the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

Hon. Kyle Knowles, Minister of Health and Human Services, echoed this sentiment, noting, “We are grateful for the continued support from the UK Government through the FCDO and UKHSA. This platform ensures that the Turks and Caicos Islands are part of a coordinated approach to building resilience and safeguarding public health.”

The Ministry’s participation in this conference forms part of ongoing efforts to enhance the national capacity for emergency preparedness, community engagement, and evidence-informed public health communication.

by RTC Director

Police provides update on Fire Investigations

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) is currently investigating three fires that occurred on Friday, 27th June, all within informal settlements across Providenciales.
These incidents are being actively addressed within the framework of our zero-tolerance approach to crime and dismantling criminal networks.

We are aware of false and damaging allegations circulating in the public domain, seeking to blame law enforcement personnel for two fires in the Blue Hills community and another along the Leeward Highway.

The RT&CIPF categorically denies these malicious, baseless, and unfounded claims, as there is no evidence to support them. We are also cognizant of the efforts by subversive elements to use diversionary tactics aimed at undermining our work and attempting to distract officers from their lawful duties. These attempts will not succeed.

Our commitment to upholding the law, with professionalism, integrity, and full regard for human rights, remains unwavering.

Preliminary assessments indicate that all three fires occurred in areas designated as informal settlements. These locations often pose significant public safety and enforcement challenges.
While we respect the dignity and rights of all individuals, regardless of their legal status, this respect must be balanced with our duty to uphold the law and maintain public safety. Our priority remains safeguarding our communities, as we maintain a zero-tolerance approach to illegal activities.

In a summary into the three incidents:

1. Mary Jane Lane, Blue Hills – 3:31 PM
Officers conducting an ongoing operation in Blue Hills observed a structure ablaze and immediately requested assistance from the Fire Department. Members of the public also
contacted the Police Control Room to report the fire. Upon arrival, multiple wooden structures were already fully engulfed in flames. Officers quickly worked to evacuate residents to safety. No injuries were reported. The area has been identified as an informal settlement believed to house undocumented migrants.

2. Behind Grants Gas Station, Millennium Highway – 12:49 PM A caller reported a fire behind the Grants Gas Station. Police officers, along with firefighters, responded to the scene. Upon inspection, it was confirmed to be a bushfire.
The fire posed no threat to nearby properties, and due to limited access, it was monitored closely for any developments. The scene was secured, and no further action was needed.

3. Off Leeward Highway, Providenciales – 9:55 AM
Reports of an explosion followed by visible black smoke. Firefighters initially had difficulty accessing the location due to the terrain, but police officers coordinated an
alternative access route. Fire crews returned to the area, reached the scene, and successfully extinguished the blaze. No injuries were reported.

We are working closely with fire officials to determine the cause of these fires. We urge anyone with credible information to contact us immediately at the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, 911, or the nearest police station.

You may also share tips anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 or by using the Crime Stoppers P3 mobile app.

by RTC Director

Hon. Erwin Jay Saunders speaks at Maranatha Academy Graduation 2025 under the Theme: "The Pathway to Possibilities: Beginning of Greatness"

Standing on the protocol established, I would also like to acknowledge:
•Principal Richard Morgan [and Mrs. Morgan],
•Pastor Steve Cornwall [and Mrs. Cornwall],
•The teachers and staff of the Maranatha Academy,
•Proud parents,
•Friends and families. and most importantly…

Graduates of the Maranatha Academy Class of 2025.
Congratulations! Big Ups!!!

It’s an honour and a joy to be here with you today, in this place of faith, of learning… and of launching into greatness.

Let me apologize, but I didn’t see a theme in the graduation booklet, so I’ve decided to title these remarks:
“The Pathway to Possibilities: Beginning of Greatness”
You’ve worked hard. You’ve prayed hard. You’ve made it. And while today may feel like the finish line. It’s not. It’s really just a starting block.

Just to drive home the point, I am going to quote Sir Winston Churchill: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” You are not just crossing a threshold. You’re stepping onto a pathway - a Pathway to Possibilities.

The Quiet Power of Focus – The 12-Year-Old Jesus in the Temple
There’s a story in Luke Chapter 2 that’s always resonated with me.

Jesus is just twelve years old, and His parents find Him—not playing with His friends, not wandering off—but sitting in the temple, discussing deep questions with the teachers. Everyone was amazed. But the part that moves me is this, he was focused. At twelve! Focused!
He wasn’t distracted by peer pressure. He wasn’t following the crowd. He knew who He was becoming. And at twelve years old, he gave his time and energy to prepare for it.

So, here’s the first lesson, Class of 2025:
Stay focused, even when the world is trying hard to distract you.

Proverbs chapter 4, verse 25 tells us: "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you."

In the world that we live in today, distractions are everywhere:
•TikTok trends changing every 15 seconds.
•News headlines flashing anxiety every hour.
•Social media telling you who to be and how to look.

However, I am here today to encourage you not to let trends become your truth. And to not let the desire for popularity drown out your purpose. I am going to say them again. Do not let trends become your truth. And do not let the desire for popularity drown out your purpose.
Determination—Because the Journey Isn’t Easy

Here’s the second lesson: "Be determined." Not everything will go your way. There’ll be setbacks. Rejections. Even a few epic fails. Sixteen months ago, I was fired. Five months ago, I was rehired. The Rev. T.D. Jakes likes to say:
"Bad times didn't come to stay, they came to pass."
Graduates, I want you to listen to me when I say this. Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is the classroom where success is taught.

Michael Jordan, widely considered the G.O.A.T. of the NBA, said in a commercial that he did for Nike, and I quote:
“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career.
I've lost almost 300 games.
26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.
I've failed over and over and over again in my life.
And that is why I succeed.”
So, take inspiration from him and from people like:

•Women’s Tennis Player Coco Gauff, who didn’t just win the U.S. Open—she lost first, then trained harder, believed, and came back stronger; or
•Tems, the Nigerian singer who started in church… and rose to the global stage because she kept going, even when no one was clapping.

Let that be you. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” - Philippians Chapter 4, Verse 13.
Lead with Compassion – Lift Others as You Climb
Now, this part is close to my heart. I’m sure you’ve heard the word “greatness” lauded on many persons before. But let me ask you this: What does greatness look like?
Is it:
•Money
•Power
•Respect
•Social Media Followers

Gentlemen, is it having the prettiest girl in the game wearin your chain? Nah. It’s none of that. True greatness – i.e. the kind that leaves a positive impact on the world – is rooted in service.

Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 23, Verse 11 that:
“The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Whether you become a doctor, an engineer, a teacher, an entrepreneur, or the Premier of these Beautiful by Nature Turks & Caicos Islands, Put God first. Put others before yourself. Be the one who uplifts others. Be the one who extends a helping hand when no one’s watching. Be the one who leads with love.

In my Budget Address this year, I quoted the words of esteemed actor Denzel Washington (not verbatim), and I am going to use them again now.
Graduates, put God first in everything you do. Everything you think you see in me. Every accomplishment was by the grace of God.
I have been:
• Protected,
• Directed,
• Corrected.
I’ve kept God in my life, and that has kept me humble. I didn’t always stick with Him, but He always stuck with me. So, graduates, I encourage you to stick with him in everything you do.
Now graduates, I am going to challenge you all today. I am going to challenge you to become the generation that does things differently.

There’s a popular saying, taken from the song “The Living Years”, released in 1988 by Mike + The Mechanics, that says: “Every generation blames the one before.”
But for you? I want your generation to be the first one that the succeeding generation thanks. Thanked not because you were perfect, but because you were purposeful. Thanked because you gave more back to the universe than you took away. Thanked because you chose to build, to serve, and to love when it would’ve been easier to scroll, to criticise, and to quit.
Think Long—You’re Planting Seeds for 2050

I now want to talk about the future. Graduates, all of you are under twenty today. That means your real influence — i.e. as a CEO, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a political leader, etc. — will probably occur around the years 2045 to 2050. That’s 20 to 25 years from now. So, I am asking you, what seeds are you planting today, or this year, to blossom during that time?
Think about that for a moment. What are you doing today to be able to have a positive impact on the world in 20 – 25 years? The world in 2050 will need:
•Leaders who care about the planet.
•Engineers with empathy.

•Doctors who listen.
•Teachers who inspire.
•Public servants who serve, not rule.
And most of all, it will need people who put others first. So, that’s your calling. And that will be your generation’s greatness and its legacy.

Graduates, your school motto says it best:“Education for Noble Service.”
And so, as you leave here, remember the words of Micah chap. 6, vs. 8:
“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Let that be your compass. Let that be your code. Let that guide you through every choice, every challenge, and every chapter ahead.

Closing – The Final Word
I will now end where I begin. There’s a moment in Luke chapter 2, verse 49, when Jesus’ parents found him in the temple, and they reprimanded him for not coming home for three days. His reply was: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?”
So, Maranatha Academy Class of 2025, whatever your “Father’s business” may be, stay focused, be determined, and lead with compassion. And no matter what path you walk, leave the world better than you found it.

Congratulations, Class of 2025! Your possibilities are endless. Your future is bright. And your greatness… has already begun.
And I want to say to my nephew, Roshan “E J” Cox, who left us too soon. I love you and I miss you.
Thank you.
God bless you all.

by RTC Director