CaribPR Wire

MONTREAL, Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/– Equisoft, a leading global digital solutions provider to the financial industry, is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Trinidad, Port of Spain. This is Equisoft’s tenth international office and marks an exciting milestone for the company as it celebrates its 30^th anniversary.

This expansion reinforces the company’s position as a pioneer in digital transformation solutions for the financial services industry. Equisoft has been a major technology provider to insurers in the Caribbean since 2012. Equisoft’s work with close to twenty insurers in the region created the need for the new office to get closer to the market and customers and to address surging demands in the Caribbean.

This office location will provide optimal service to Equisoft’s current customers and position them to effectively meet the growing demand in the Caribbean.

“As we celebrate Equisoft’s 30^th anniversary, the opening of our new office in Port of Spain, Trinidad, stands as a testament to our commitment to innovation and client satisfaction. This expansion is a milestone for us and underscores our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our clients and the industry” said Ruben Veerasamy, Equisoft Senior Vice President, Caribbean.

The new office is located at 11-13 Victoria Avenue, 2nd. Floor, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

About Equisoft

Founded in 1994, Equisoft is a global provider of advanced insurance and investment digital solutions. Recognized as a valued partner by over 250 of the world’s leading financial institutions, Equisoft offers a complete ecosystem of solutions, from innovative front-end applications to extensive back-office services and unique data migration expertise. The firm’s flagship solutions include SaaS policy administration, CRM, financial needs analysis, financial planning, asset allocation, fund and portfolio analysis, quotes and illustrations, electronic application, agency management systems, as well as customer, agent and broker portals. With its business-driven approach, deep industry knowledge, innovative technology, and multicultural team of experts based in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, Equisoft helps its clients tackle any challenge in this era of digital disruption. For more information, please visit www.equisoft.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2317453/Equisoft_Inc__Equisoft_s_Global_Presence_Expands_with_the_Openin.jpg

– Expanded Policy will Increase Access for Darunavir Pediatric Formulations in 128 Resource-Limited Countries

– Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica are some of the countries that would benefit with this policy

PANAMA CITY, May 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Johnson & Johnson today announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies have furthered their commitment to improve the health of children living with HIV through an expanded policy aimed at enhancing access to its HIV medicine darunavir. This policy enables the development of and access to new pediatric products of darunavir in 128 low- and middle-income countries[i], home to 99.8% of children and adolescents living with HIV worldwide[ii] today.

As part of efforts to help meet the needs of children and adolescents living with HIV, Janssen is working to create one of the broadest geographic territories for an access effort for pediatric HIV medicines to date. To that end, Janssen will expand the geographic scope of its 2012 policy not to enforce the patents it owns and controls on the antiretroviral (ARV) drug darunavir, for pediatric products used in low- and middle-income countries. This doubles the original territory of sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries[iii] announced in 2012. The 2012 policy outlines that Janssen will not enforce its darunavir patent rights, provided the generic versions of darunavir are quality, medically acceptable, and only used in the indicated countries. Today’s expanded policy is applicable only for pediatric darunavir products used in the defined territory. Manufacturers are still responsible for obtaining permissions from other darunavir patent holders and health authorities where appropriate.

These renewed efforts are an outcome of engagement between Janssen and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), directly supporting the recently-launched Pediatric HIV Treatment Initiative (PHTI). PHTI is a partnership between the MPP, UNITAID, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) dedicated to speeding the development of high-priority pediatric co-formulations of HIV medicines and addressing other potential barriers to treatment access for children living with HIV.

Janssen will collaborate with PHTI partners to develop critical new formulations of pediatric HIV medicines to help safeguard the lives of children and adolescents living with HIV. Janssen and PHTI organizations will explore the possible development of a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of darunavir with the boosting agent ritonavir for children living with HIV. Darunavir administered with ritonavir and in combination with other antiretroviral medicines is currently indicated for highly treatment-experienced adult and pediatric HIV patients (third-line) in resource-limited settings and has been recommended by the World Health Organization[iv].  A novel FDC that is safe, effective and child-friendly would be an important step in realizing the global health imperative to close the pediatric HIV treatment gap.

“Our vision is that children living with HIV can receive the treatments they need to stay strong and grow to become productive young adults,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson and Worldwide Chairman, Janssen. “We are committed to ensuring that no child is without access to appropriate, child-friendly HIV treatment options and, most importantly, the hope of a healthy future.”

“Finding innovative solutions for the challenges of pediatric HIV treatment requires us all to think differently and act collaboratively,” said Tomas Matthews, Access Director, Janssen Global Public Health. “We are working to address obstacles in efforts to help protect the health of vulnerable children living with HIV in high-burden countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and elsewhere around the world.”

Janssen and Johnson & Johnson have a longstanding commitment to helping children living with HIV and enhancing access to its medicines for thosein need. For more than a decade, Johnson & Johnson has supported efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections among children, and in 2011, the company pledged an additional $15 million to support the Global Plan to eliminate pediatric HIV. In December 2013, Janssen launched the New Horizons Advancing HIV Care initiative, a collaborative effort to strengthen country-level capacity, knowledge, and action around the needs of HIV treatment-experienced children. A key feature of this initiative is a treatment donation program for PREZISTA® (darunavir) and INTELENCE® (etravirine) for HIV treatment-experienced children and adolescents.

Johnson & Johnson and Janssen are committed to advancing global health. Its family of companies has launched and continues to support a variety of comprehensive efforts toward strengthening the health of communities, improving maternal and child health, and preventing the spread of infectious and preventable diseases worldwide. For more information on Johnson & Johnson global health programs, visit www.jnj.com.

About Janssen, the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving the most important unmet medical needs of our time, including in oncology (e.g., multiple myeloma and prostate cancer), immunology (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, IBD and psoriasis), neuroscience (e.g., schizophrenia, dementia and pain), infectious disease (e.g., HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and tuberculosis), and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes).

Driven by our commitment to patients, we develop sustainable, integrated healthcare solutions by working side-by-side with healthcare stakeholders, based on partnerships of trust and transparency. To learn more, visit www.janssen.com.

About Johnson & Johnson

Caring for the world, one person at a time…inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science ‒ bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Our approximately 126,500 employees at more than 265 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.

References

[i] In addition to all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as defined by the United Nations and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), countries included in this policy expansion are Algeria, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Nauru, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and West Bank and Gaza.

[ii] Calculated using data from: UNICEF. Children, Adolescents and AIDS (2014 Statistical Update). http://www.childrenandaids.org/

[iii] Resource-limited settings under this policy include all Least Developed Countries (”LDCs”) as defined by the United Nations (http://www.unohrlls.org/en/ldc/25/) and the countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which are not classified as LDCs.

[iv] World Health Organization. Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV Infection in Adults and Adolescents: Recommendations for a Public Health Approach, 2010 Revision. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241599764_eng.pdf

CONTACT:  Joan Townsend, Janssen Communication Manager, [email protected]

MIAMI, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Absolut is proud to announce that the world-renowned vodka will be unveiling its newest flavor and bottle, Absolut Karnival, at one of the world’s most prominent carnival celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago. The passion fruit and orange blossom-flavored limited edition Absolut Karnival will capture the transformative energy of Carnival.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140227/FL73910)

Inspired by carnival and launched in a big way, Absolut will be participating, or “playing mas” as it is known locally, in Port of Spain for the first time with the bottle’s exclusively designed characters. The Absolut Karnival Cocktail truck that features the distinct shape of the Absolut bottle will be strutting down the parade route with one of the island’s most revered bands, Harts.

The alignment with Harts joins one of the island’s most premium bands with the premium vodka brand. The family owned band that has been around for more than 50 years and has won Carnival five times is welcoming the Absolut Karnival Cocktail truck for the first time.

Absolut unveils the newest Karnival bottle design, featuring artwork by the Brazilian graphic novel artist and writer Rafael Grampa. The five characters symbolize freedom, spirit, smoothness, style and happiness; elements that are vital to the joy and celebration of carnival.

All five characters, along with stilt walkers, will be playing mas on Carnival Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4 with “masqueraders” and Absolut personnel will be handing out complimentary samples.

Look for the Absolut Karnival Cocktail truck playing mas with Harts and get your taste of Karnival.

The Absolut Company has the worldwide responsibility for the production, innovation and strategic marketing of Absolut Vodka, Malibu, Kahlua, Wyborowa, Luksusowa and Fris. Absolut Vodka is the world’s fourth largest premium spirits brand. Every bottle of Absolut Vodka is produced in Åhus, southern Sweden. Malibu is the number one rum-based coconut spirit in the world, sold in more than 150 countries. Kahlua coffee liqueur is the world leader in its category. The head office is located in Stockholm, Sweden. The Absolut Company is a part of Pernod Ricard, which holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector.

For additional information on Absolut Karnival, artist Rafael Grampa, and Absolut products, please visit www.absolut.com.

CONTACT: For additional information and images of Absolut Karnival’s participation in Trinidad & Tobago’s carnival, contact: Jessica Drouet, MGSCOMM, [email protected], +1 786 433 4069

CaribPR Wire, PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Weds. May 1, 2013: Latin American buyer attendance at The Trade & Investment Convention is on the upswing for 2013, as Argentina, Brazil and the Dominican Republic have made commitments to bring delegations from leading businesses from their countries to conduct trade on the showroom floor.

Buyers, (businesses seeking suppliers of goods and services from exhibitors on the tradeshow floor), are also registered from Poland, Panama, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Belize, Canada, the United States of America, Curaçao, the UK, Saint Maarten, Peru, Venezuela and as far afield as the United Arab Emirates.

Representatives from these countries will include distributors, exporters, importers, manufacturers and service providers interested in several local sectors such as agriculture, construction, energy, paper and printing, packing and labeling and food and beverage.

According to Anthony Aboud, Executive Chairman of TIC: “TIC has always received tremendous support from our local manufacturers and businesses and so it is even more rewarding to know our foreign counterparts understand that for anyone serious about doing business in T&T, TIC is the place to be.”

Hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, the Trade & Investment Convention, (TIC), will celebrate its Fourteenth Anniversary from June 12th – 15th, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

One of the largest and most influential business-to-business events in the region, TIC is focused on business networking and trade, and includes a tradeshow, business to business matchmaking, a business education programme and multiple networking events.

TIC is sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, First Citizens and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago.

For more information on TIC please contact:

Ms. Natasha Brown

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (868) 675-8862 ext. 227

Fax: (868) 675-9000

The Bank teams up with SickKids to support telemedicine program

TORONTO, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Today, through Scotiabank’s global philanthropic program, Bright Future, the Bank announced a pledge of $1 million to support the Caribbean-SickKids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project. These funds will be used to support the project’s telemedicine programs in Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas.

The telemedicine element of the project will allow physicians in the Caribbean to connect directly with leading paediatric cancer and blood disorder experts at SickKids. As well, physicians specializing in areas other than cancer and blood diseases can also connect with both Caribbean and international colleagues, enhancing their ability to diagnose and care for Caribbean children. The goal of this project is to expand access to world-leading medical professionals allowing children to get the best care possible in their own country.

“The Caribbean is a big part of Scotiabank’s history and our future. This donation and our partnership with SickKids are directed at giving the next generation a better chance of growing up healthy and making their contribution to the Caribbean,” said Sabi Marwah, Scotiabank Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. “Supporting our communities through the Bright Future program is a big part of Scotiabank’s culture and our way of giving back to the network of 55 countries we call home.”

Through SickKids Foundation, Scotiabank also previously pledged $1 million to the International Patient Program.

“We are grateful for Scotiabank’s generous support of the telemedicine element of the project,” said Ted Garrard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation. “Too often, children in the Caribbean succumb to cancer because the proper diagnostics and treatments are not available. This gift will help build capacity for these Caribbean countries to more effectively diagnose and treat children.”

In the Caribbean, there is often a combination of factors that negatively impact on the ability to deliver clinical care, including: a lack of medical professionals with specialized training in paediatric cancer care; limited technological resources which often prohibits proper diagnoses; few nurses and pharmacists able to provide specialized front-line health care; and limited data on the effectiveness of treatments and epidemiology of paediatric cancer. Working with local hospital partners in the Caribbean, the Caribbean-SickKids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project includes a five-year plan to address the region’s gaps in research, care and education in order to advance the diagnosis and management of paediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Elements of this five-year plan include using telemedicine, physician envoys, and the SickKids International Learner Programme to provide customized, hands-on training to local individuals, establishing and maintaining a patient registry to provide high-quality data and key outcomes, and increasing the knowledge of primary care practitioners and pharmacists in the region to improve cancer care access. Trainees will also travel from the Caribbean to SickKids on a regular basis for hands-on training and experience within the Garron Family Cancer Centre at SickKids.

For more information on the Caribbean-SickKids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project, please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com/caribbean. To watch a video about the Project, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvntNAnvuSY.

About SickKids Foundation
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids — one of the world’s foremost paediatric health-care institutions. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012, SickKids Foundation made an investment of $61.3 million in children’s health, a direct result of community and corporate support. For more information, please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

For media enquiries:

Scotiabank
Paula Cufre, Scotiabank Media Communications, 416-866-4833 or
[email protected]

SickKids Foundation
Janessa Bishop, Media Relations; 416-813-2944;
[email protected]

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, FL, Weds. April 6, 2011: BlackBerry® Travel™, an application that provides BlackBerry® smartphone users with an all-in-one integrated tool to plan, book, manage and share travel activities quickly and easily, is now available in the major markets of the Caribbean.

The new app was recently announced in February at MWC 2011 in Barcelona and is now ready for download for BlackBerry users in the following markets: Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Bahamas, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands.

The BlackBerry Travel app offers convenient push notifications and seamless integration of travel itineraries and flight status updates into the familiar BlackBerry Calendar.  When a new booking confirmation or itinerary arrives in the user’s email inbox, the BlackBerry Travel app is automatically updated with the relevant itinerary details, which makes travel planning and management easier than ever. With the BlackBerry push technology, the BlackBerry Travel app can keep users informed and in control of their itineraries by monitoring flight statuses and promptly providing notifications about changes to their flight information. The app can even identify potential omissions or scheduling concerns with their itineraries, such as missing accommodations or timing conflicts, and provide users with suggestions.

The BlackBerry Travel app also brings together tools that travelers need while planning on the go, including:

• Hotel booking
• Currency converters
• Weather forecasts
• Local search functionality

In addition, BlackBerry smartphone users can share their travel information with colleagues, friends and family over email or through LinkedIn®, directly from the BlackBerry Travel app. The LinkedIn integration allows users to search for people in their network who will be in the same city, send messages to contacts and update their status.

The BlackBerry Travel app also features a web component that allows users to book flights and car rentals, as well as edit and print itineraries, from their computer.

The BlackBerry Travel app was built in collaboration with WorldMate, a leader in mobile travel platforms.  WorldMate and RIM are working together with leaders in the travel industries such as Continental Airlines, Expedia Affiliate Network, Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, United Airlines to provide BlackBerry Travel app users with an amazing mobile experience.

The BlackBerry Travel app will be available as of today from BlackBerry App World™ (www.blackberry.com/appworld). The app is free and works on select BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry® 5 OS (Device Software) or higher.* For more information please visit www.blackberry.com/travel

* BlackBerry Travel is available at launch for the BlackBerry® Bold™, BlackBerry® Curve™, BlackBerry® Storm™ and BlackBerry® Torch™ series of smartphones.

75.3% of Survey Respondents Received Fewer Minutes Than Calling Cards Promised

 SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ — People in the U.S. who use international calling cards to stay in touch with family and friends in Trinidad and Tobago said they almost never get all of the calling minutes purchased, and that calling card fraud has cheated some of them by as much as $1,000.

 (Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100203/SF49053LOGO)

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100203/SF49053LOGO)

 The first-ever report on calling habits to Trinidad and Tobago from the U.S. revealed that 75.3% believe they received fewer minutes than promised by calling cards.  The average loss due to fraudulent cards was $90, the study found, but many respondents said the total sum lost was far greater.

 Conducted last month by Rebtel (http://www.rebtel.com), the first-ever research uncovered fascinating findings on U.S. calling habits to Trinidad and Tobago.

 Nearly two-thirds – 61.2% – of Rebtel calls to Trinidad and Tobago that originate in the U.S. go to family members; 36.5% go to friends; only 2.4% go to business associates. Calling rates are hands-down the most important aspect of international calling among survey respondents, with call quality second.

 Among survey participants, 73.2% said Rebtel rates are better than alternatives for calling Trinidad and Tobago.  Almost 71% said Rebtel offers superior call quality.

 For calling Trinidad and Tobago, 96.5% of survey respondents said they would recommend Rebtel to friends.

 Release of the study coincides with dramatic rate reductions by Rebtel on calls to Trinidad and Tobago: a 72% cut on calls to landlines and up to 22% on calls to mobile phones.

 Founded in 2006, Stockholm-based Rebtel was established to give people around the world an alternative to rip-off phone cards’ rates for making international calls.

 Rebtel is the world’s largest independent mobile VoIP company. Millions of people worldwide regularly use Rebtel to make international calls to loved ones at home for just pennies per minute. Rebtel works with any phone. There’s nothing to download, upload, or install. No contracts, monthly fees or hidden costs.  No special access numbers, PIN numbers or long international phone numbers to remember and enter. Rebtel customers only pay super-cheap calling rates for the minutes they use, and free calling is always an option between 50 countries where Rebtel is available. To start using Rebtel, go to http://www.rebtel.com.