Diabetes & Diet Drinks: A new European Journal of Nutrition study of 2,612 adults (including Surinamese participants) found higher intake of non-sugar-sweetened beverages was linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the association strongest among younger adults and people of non-Dutch origin. Malaria Elimination in the Guiana Shield: Suriname and PAHO helped convene a subregional meeting with Brazil, French Guiana, and Guyana, renewing commitments to accelerate malaria-free efforts—especially targeting transmission in mining communities and among Indigenous and remote border populations. Chikungunya Update: Suriname’s Public Health Bureau says chikungunya is no longer in the epidemic phase, though cases still occur in places like Paramaribo and Brokopondo, and residents are urged to keep preventing mosquito breeding. Medicines Quality Boost: PAHO, CARPHA, and USP held a regional webinar to strengthen medicines quality assurance and laboratory testing capacity across Caribbean countries, including Suriname. Regional Health Governance: The U.S. State Department flagged Suriname among Caribbean governments failing minimum fiscal transparency standards—an issue that can affect how health and development funds are monitored. Public Health Safety Watch: Barbados reports authorities are reviewing whether to ban or tighten controls on paraquat, a highly toxic weedkiller increasingly linked to serious health concerns.