Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging Jamaicans to actively participate in the Ministry's ‘Know Your Numbers’ islandwide campaign to promote health and well-being among the population. Dr. Tufton, who was speaking to residents, health practitioners and other stakeholders at another of the now-familiar road shows at the Turtle River Park, Ocho Rios, on January...

The upgraded and retrofitted Santa Cruz Health Centre in St. Elizabeth was officially handed over to the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Thursday, January 18. This state-of-the-art centre has been designated a “smart facility”, with the capability to respond effectively to crises while maintaining core functions during disasters and public health threats, exemplifying the ongoing efforts to fortify the...

Medical Officer of Health for St. Ann, Dr. Tamara Henry, says there has been no recorded case of dengue in the garden parish since last December. Addressing the monthly sitting of the St. Ann Municipal Corporation in St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann, Dr. Henry noted that as of January 10, 2023, there were 407 suspected cases of dengue, with 13...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by getting vaccinated against viruses such as Influenza and the coronavirus (COVID-19). Medical Officer of Health for Portland, Dr. Sharon Lewis, said the elderly, vulnerable individuals with chronic illnesses, especially non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and pregnant women “are encouraged to get vaccinated”. “We are to take the necessary precautions to...

The St. Thomas Health Department is calling on residents to continue the measures to keep their surroundings free from mosquito breeding, as the dengue virus “remains a challenge” across the parish. According to Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr. D’Oyen Smith, the mosquito index has been reduced to 16.2 per cent, coming down from 19.4 per cent, with...

Residents of Paradise Norwood have been commended by the St. James Public Health Department for their proactive efforts in achieving a below five per cent Aedes aegypti index. The reduction, from a 17 per cent index, followed a late December community intervention by the health team. “Over the years, the Department has been grappling with a high aedes index... so...

Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, says there is no evidence of new COVID-19 variants on the island. “We do not have any evidence of those new strains in Jamaica, but it is something that we are monitoring because we are a global village and most diseases are only a plane flight away,” she noted. “These variants...