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The National AIDS Committee (NAC) has intensified its campaign to urge some 10,000 people to voluntarily test for HIV before World AIDS Day on December 1. Acting Executive Director of the NAC, Vivian Gray, told JIS News that the organization has been conducting a series of outreach activities to encourage more people to get tested. Recently the Committee partnered with...

Residents of Mile Gully and its environs in North West Manchester are to benefit from several new developments, including the construction of a new high school and a well to supply piped water in the community. This was disclosed yesterday (October 4), by Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and Minister of Local Government and Environment, Dean Peart, at...

The 2005 Survey of Living Conditions has reported that poverty in Jamaica declined last year by 2.1 percentage points. "The data revealed that in 2005, there was a reduction over the 2004 survey from 16.9 to 14.8 per cent," said Thalia Burnett, Manager of Policy Research Unit at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). Mrs. Burnett, who was revealing the...

The Sickle Cell Trust's outreach meetings, being held in St. Elizabeth from October 1 to 7, have been a success so far, said Educational Coordinator of the Trust, Karlene Mason. So far, educational talks have been held at seven institutions and these will continue for the rest of this week at Leeds Primary, Ballards Valley Primary, Rose Hall All-age, and...

Minister of Health, Hon. Horace Dalley, has said that the thrust to obtain international accreditation for medical laboratories in the island, would improve the quality of health delivery and patient outcome. "The basis of the accreditation exercise is our quest for quality improvement in the services we provide.we like to think of quality of care as the extent to which...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce (MITEC), Senator Kern Spencer, has said that with the full implementation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, universally recognised standards would become particularly necessary in the provision of healthcare services. "This is necessary if as Caribbean nations we are to treat with any measure of seriousness issues...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Delano Franklyn has said that many Jamaicans who have applied for CARICOM Skills Certificates have not expressed an intention to move immediately to another member state, but were preparing themselves for any opportunities that may arise. He made the observation in his address at the Jamaica National...

He emerged from adversity to become an outstanding music talent and hopes one day, to be named the musical director for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).It is in pursuit of his dream, that Sergeant Albert Hird is perfecting his musical and conducting talents at the Royal Military Academy of Music in London. "I am here (London) on a student bandmaster...

Beneficiaries under the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), can now receive their money at automatic banking machines through the use of National Commercial Bank (NCB) Keycard cash cards. The initiative was launched on October 3 at a ceremony, held at the Dinthill Technical High School in Linstead, St. Catherine. Speaking at the ceremony, Labour and Social Security...

A Bill seeking to make provision for the fulfilment of Jamaica's commitment to the efficient and effective staging of Cricket World Cup 2007, was tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday (October 3). The ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Act, 2006, also referred to as the 'sunset legislation', is being created for the sole purpose of the holding...

The community of Islington in St. Mary is to be provided with a new basic school, to be funded by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund. This early childhood institution will be constructed at a cost of $34 million, with both agencies providing $16 million each. The rest will be...

A motion to censure Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for North Central St. Andrew, Karl Samuda, was supported yesterday (October 3) by Government MPs in the House, even as members of the Opposition staged a walkout. The censure motion, of which notice was given by Member of Parliament for South Western St. Elizabeth, Donald Buchanan, in the House on September...