Abstract

Our world is currently faced with three major problems: Global warming, antibiotic resistance and COVID-19. Global warming is mainly caused by the emission of “greenhouse” gases such as CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Global warming has manifested itself in the melting of ice caps, glaciers, rising sea levels, flooding, intense unseasonal rainfall, intense hurricanes, drought or periods of extremely dry weather, higher heat index etc. It has affected the entire world, of which the Caribbean is of no exception. These include destruction of country infrastructure and economy, flooding etc. For example, on September 1, 2019, the eye of Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the Abaco Islands with maximum sustained winds of 185mph (295km/h), making it the strongest hurricane on record to affect the Bahamas. The effects of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019, were amongst the worst experienced for any natural disaster in the country. Hurricane Dorian struck the Abaco Islands as a Category 5 hurricane and a day later hit Grand Bahama Island at the same category. Damage amounted to US$3.4 billion, and there were at least 74 deaths in the country. Antibiotic resistance, results from indiscriminate use of antibiotics and is on the rise. It mostly occurs with the use of synthetic analogues and thus research in herbal medicines and commercialization should intensify. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a contagious disease induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). The first case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has become a pandemic. To date 117,764,619 million cases have been reported, with over 2,613,747 deaths and 66,737,497 recovered cases. In Guyana, as of March 10, there are 8,847 confirmed cases, 204 deaths, with 8,200 recovered cases. To date, four vaccines have been approved for the fight against COVID-19.

Keywords: Global warming; Antibiotic resistance; COVID-19, Greenhouse gases; Herbal medicines; Commercialisation