Loud cheers and applause filled the room at the Medallion Hall in Kingston, as St. Alban’s Primary and Port Morant Primary schools emerged respective winners of the Ministry of Health’s Zika Public Education and Awareness Selfie and Jingle competitions. Prior to the announcement of the victors, students and teachers from approximately 24 of the island’s primary and secondary schools waited with...

The 22nd staging of the annual Diabetes Conference will be held from April 28 to 30 at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel, in Rose Hall, St. James. The conference will feature topics, such as Ganja and its effects on Diabetes. Several studies on the effects of ganja on blood sugar levels, overweight and the alleviation of symptoms, especially the pain from...

“I only have a touch of sugar,” is how many Jamaicans with diabetes describe their condition. However, leading expert in diabetes research and treatment, Professor Errol Morrison, says there is no such thing as a “touch” of diabetes.  “This is a very big misconception,” he tells JIS News. He notes that diabetes is a serious, potentially life-threatening illness, which must...

Public health officials are to receive further training this fiscal year in food safety and other related standards under the European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Capacity Building Project. This is being done in a bid to increase awareness of international standards and technical requirements in the public sector, in relation to food safety as well as animal...

The Ministry of Health is looking at improving access to non-traditional forms of vaccines to the Jamaican population. Speaking at the launch of the 14th Vaccination Week in the Americas, Portfolio Minister, Dr. Hon. Christopher Tufton said, offering these non-traditional vaccines “as part of our routine administration to the population” is crucial particularly in light of the increasing disease migration....

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says immunisation is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions, which saves the lives of some three million children in the Americas each year. He was speaking at the launch of Vaccination Week in the Americas at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on Thursday, April 21. Dr. Tufton stated...

The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is urging members of the public to participate in the National Drug Prevalence Survey, as the results will inform policy decisions. The survey, which is underway, seeks to determine the extent of drug use among the Jamaican population, aged 12-65 years, with a particular focus on marijuana use and attitudes toward the recent...