Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging Jamaicans not to become complacent with the country’s comparatively low suicide rate, particularly at this time when persons are coping with the stress of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He said data indicate that prior to COVID-19 approximately one million people died globally each year due to suicide, and...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has implemented a number of initiatives to address the risk factors for suicide in the country. These include barriers to accessing healthcare, inappropriate media reporting on cases of suicide, access to means of committing suicide, and stigma associated with help-seeking behaviour. This was disclosed by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher...

Regional Medical Epidemiologist, Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Maung Aung, says the country continues to see an increase in the incidence of prostate cancer. Dr. Aung, who was addressing the MistyBlue Cancer Care Foundation’s teleconference on Wednesday (September 9), is attributing the continued rise to “low health-seeking behaviour among the island’s men and low screening numbers”. He cited the...

Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St. James, Sherika Lewis, says rigorous vector-control activities are continuing across the parish, in order to stem the spread of the dengue fever. According to Ms. Lewis, the parish’s mosquito Aedes index jumped to 11.5 per cent in August, an increase over previous months, which means that more breeding sites were identified in August....

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is appealing to persons who have recovered from the coronavirus (COVID-19), to donate blood to assist in the treatment of patients who are fighting the virus. The Minister’s appeal is in support of a call by the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) for COVID-19 survivors to donate blood,...

Jamaicans could see an increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) recoveries in coming days as the Ministry of Health and Wellness readjusts how patients are discharged. National Epidemiologist, Dr. Karen Webster Kerr, said patients will no longer need two negative COVID-19 tests before being discharged and classified as recovered. “In the early part of the outbreak you had to...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says a decision will be taken on the country’s position as it relates to the use of the rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) test, following a meeting with health experts next week. These will include representatives from the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), the National Public Health Laboratory along with...