The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) has launched an Anti-Vaping Campaign in Westmoreland, to help combat the increased use of electronic cigarettes among youth in the parish. The initiative, which began with a public education session on Monday (May 29) at the Westmoreland Justice Centre in Savanna-la-Mar, is expected to last for between six months and a year. It...

Two new programmes designed to enhance health promotion in Jamaica through education and screening are slated for rollout this year. The initiatives, to be spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, were announced by Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, while addressing the recent 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Tufton explained that the engagements...

The Health Promotion and Education Unit at the Westmoreland Public Health Department is ramping up its dengue fever sensitisation thrust in the parish. This, according to Health Promotion and Education Officer, Gerald Miller, who told JIS News that the Department will be increasing its efforts to educate citizens about preventing the virus. “So, we are going to be using the...

Nearly 6,000 persons in four western parishes received free blood pressure checks on Wednesday (May 17), far exceeding the 4,000-target set for World Hypertension Day. Regional Non-Communicable Disease Coordinator, Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Marcia Johnson Campbell, told JIS News that all parishes, except Trelawny, surpassed their targets. A breakdown of the figures shows that in St. James, 2,133...

Buff Bay Primary School in Portland will mark Children’s Day on Friday (May 19) with a health and education fair on the grounds of the institution. The day’s activities will run from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, and will see scores of children benefitting from health and dental checks by the team from the Buff Bay Health Centre. There will...

Children’s Advocate, Dian Gordon Harrison, is encouraging children in need of mental health support to make use of the SafeSpot helpline at 888-723-3776. The call comes as data from the national child and teen helpline show a worrying mental health condition among some Jamaican children. SafeSpot is a dedicated toll-free line that is available 24 hours daily, seven days per...

Some 1,200 residents of Westmoreland are being targeted for blood-pressure checks by the Westmoreland Public Health Department on World Hypertension Day, Wednesday (May 17). Health Promotion and Education Officer for the parish, Gerald Miller, told JIS News that the initiative involves collaboration with the National Health Fund (NHF). “We were asked to work with them in screening persons for hypertension,”...

The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) will be observing World Hypertension Day on Wednesday, May 17, with several public awareness and free healthcare events in the parishes of St. James, Trelawny, Westmoreland and Hanover. This year’s theme for the internationally recognised Day is ‘Know your numbers’ and is aimed at increasing the level of awareness about the symptoms, treatment and...

Jamaicans are being urged to maintain precautions against COVID-19.  Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, said that while the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the pandemic over on May 5, the virus is still an issue on the island and persons should continue to protect themselves.   “COVID is still here. Please do not throw away your...