Jamaica is on course to lower its debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to 74 per cent by the end of March 2024, says Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness. This, he notes, will be “well below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels and the lowest in 25 years.” The Prime Minister was delivering the main address during the Jamaica Dental...

The Government, with support from the World Bank, will begin implementation of the Social Protection for Increased Resilience and Opportunity (SPIRO) Project, to strengthen and expand Jamaica’s social protection systems. Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, made the disclosure as he delivered the Throne Speech at the ceremonial opening of Parliament on February 15. He said one...

During the upcoming legislative year, the Government will revise various pieces of health-related legislation for improved care, says Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen. The Governor-General, who was delivering the 2024/2025 Throne Speech in the the House of Representatives today (February 15), said this is key in the strengthening of the health sector. Among the laws that...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Jamaica Dental Association (JDA) can claim success in ensuring that the practice of dentistry in the country is First-World and totally modernised. Mr. Holness, who was speaking at the Association’s 60th annual conference at Royalton Blue Waters Hotel in Falmouth, Trelawny, on February 14, said the group must also be lauded...

The Government has allocated funds totalling $6,261,400 to two suppliers participating in the ‘New Limb, New Life’ initiative, which is geared towards providing support for physically disabled Jamaicans requiring limbs. Cheques in the sum were presented to Surgix Jamaica Limited and Tutu Prosthetics, which will provide prostheses for the first set of beneficiaries. The Ministry of Health and Wellness contributed...

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the island’s public health sector is undergoing significant changes to meet the needs of Jamaicans. He noted that these changes entail infrastructure development through upgrading and building of new hospitals on a magnitude that has not been seen since Independence. It also includes advancement in technology to enhance operational...

Jamaica’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined significantly from 4.5 births per female between 1973 and 1975 to 1.9 in 2021, contributing to a decrease in the country’s population estimate. This is one of the findings of the Reproductive Health Survey Jamaica (RHS), 2021, which was officially disseminated to the public by the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) at the...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will be engaging a corporate head chef, who will be charged with teaching Jamaicans how to prepare healthy, affordable dishes using local foods. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the move is aimed at promoting healthy eating as part of measures to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He said the...

The Hanover Health Department has intensified its action against the spread of dengue fever in the parish, through a comprehensive programme aimed at increasing public awareness of preventive measures against the disease. This effort is also focused on eliminating the breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, vectors of the disease. Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr. Kaushal...