Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson says the re-introduction of user fees in the public health sector may not by itself generate the levels of revenue required to adequately finance the system. “While we might need to do some things relative to what you call revenue streams, the answer cannot be just a total bringing back to the fore...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says he is in support of the decriminalisation of marijuana from a point of view of justice, but not of health. “I don’t support the smoking of marijuana, just as I don’t support the smoking of tobacco.... Our position is very clear, there are some cannabinoids which is part of the constituent elements...

​Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson has called on Jamaicans to join the fight against lifestyle-related diseases, by adopting a preventative approach to their health.​ The Health Minister was addressing the opening ceremony for the Bethel Town and Neighbouring Communities Association Incorporated (BTANCA - Inc) Health Fair on Wednesday, April 16 on the grounds of the Bethel Town Health...

A call has been made for more structured families as a means of promoting health, curbing violence in the society, and easing the national burden of treating avoidable injuries. Making the appeal, Regional Technical Director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), Dr. Michael Coombs, urged fathers to be involved in the socialization of their children, noting that where fathers...

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Denzil Douglas, has suggested that several key issues must be considered by Caribbean leaders and other stakeholders in developing a framework for reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence, and the associated stigma and discrimination, going forward. Key among these, he said, are: accelerated treatment and prevention regimes, activism, co-ordinated negotiations, sustainable financing mechanisms, and...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, says special provisions must be made, where necessary, to protect the welfare of persons who are among the most marginalised and disadvantaged. She underscored this point in a speech delivered by Justice Minister, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, during Wednesday’s (April 9) opening ceremony for the three-day Caribbean Consultation on Justice for...

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, has called for a change in mindset and greater solidarity among peoples of the Caribbean to end stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS. This is particularly necessary among key populations that are at higher risk of infection, he insists. “Our culture remains one of the biggest barriers to the type of success...