Students at Golden Grove All-Age School in St. Ann are better equipped to make safer and healthier decisions, following an educational initiative on June 25 aimed at strengthening fire-safety awareness and preventing substance misuse. The programme, organised by the NGD Quintessential Foundation, in partnership with the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) and the Jamaica Fire Brigade, provided students with...

The Westmoreland Public Health Department is urging parents and school administrators to remain vigilant, following an increase in cases of hand, foot and mouth disease among children in several educational institutions across the parish. Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, said the highly contagious viral illness has primarily been affecting students in basic, infant and early childhood...

Representatives of the JN Circle Spanish Town Chapter and the Ellerslie Tawes District Development Committee (ETDDC) handed over a new wheelchair to the Special Education Unit of Point Hill Leased Primary School in St. Catherine on Wednesday (July 8), to benefit students with mobility challenges. The presentation took place at the JN Spanish Town Branch. Sharing the moment are (from...

The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) is expanding access to cardiovascular health services through a series of community health centre visits across the island during July. The outreach programme is being undertaken as the HFJ continues activities marking its 55th anniversary of promoting heart health and preventing cardiovascular disease among Jamaicans. The month-long initiative reflects the Foundation's long-standing commitment to...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the Mediation Act will provide an important intervention to help reduce the risk of domestic violence, which places additional strain on the public health system. Making his contribution to the debate on the Bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 7), Dr. Tufton argued that Jamaica is...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging Jamaicans to use their influence to promote healthier lifestyles and embrace greater personal responsibility for their health. “We must use our platforms, we must use our community-based organisations, we must use other places where we have even a small dose of influence... to help to influence this theme...

The Westmoreland arm of the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is urging a united effort to combat substance abuse in the parish, particularly among youth, as recent data points to a troubling rise in drug use. The call was made by Westmoreland’s Parish Coordinator for Prevention, Public Education, and Treatment at the NCDA, Orain Ruddock, during the official opening...