Regional governments, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, are being urged to heighten sustained investments in health to up to six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), to effectively tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including the resulting social and economic fallouts. Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Carissa Etienne, and Executive Secretary for the Economic...

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says 60 per cent of the country’s tourism workers are vaccinated. Providing an update in the House of Representatives on October 13, Mr. Bartlett said the vaccination of tourism workers is key to the sector’s full recovery. He noted that the vaccination rate among tourism workers was more than double the national average, adding that...

Jamaica is among four Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) member countries slated to benefit from 1.3 million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, recently donated by the United States, Canada, Germany and Spain. Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, said these will be used to boost vaccination coverage in Argentina, Guyana, Honduras and Jamaica. Additionally, she said PAHO is supporting Jamaica, along with...

The Ministry of Health & Wellness is encouraging women to do yearly mammograms and regular self-checks to ensure early detection of breast cancer. Programme Development Officer in the Ministry’s Non-Communicable Disease and Injuries Prevention Unit, Dr. Cathi-Ann Williams, said that the mammograms should start at age 40. She said that breast self-examinations should be done monthly, about five days after...

The National COVID-19 Vaccination Operationalisation Task Force has presented its preliminary findings and recommendations to Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, and Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. The task force, which is chaired by President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Professor the Hon. Gordon Shirley, is currently finalising its...

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, is reporting that the vaccination of homeless persons in the Corporate Area has moved to 125, following an exercise on the weekend.  He said that 60 persons were inoculated on World Homeless Day on Sunday (October 10), at the Marie Atkins Shelter in downtown Kingston. They add to the 65, who were vaccinated in August.  The Mayor was speaking at the monthly meeting of the Kingston...

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says new vaccination policies are to be implemented after the Government completes its public education campaign. He noted that in the interim, all sections of the population must be exposed to information about the vaccine and given the choice and opportunity to get vaccinated. “We will respect people's rights and the process before we do anything,...