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The White Paper on the National Workplace Policy on HIV and AIDS was tabled in the Senate on Friday, February 8. The policy is a framework for action by the Government, employers and workers to deal effectively with HIV/AIDS in places of employment. It is based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) principles on HIV/AIDS in the workplace. It takes...

Work is to begin soon at the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas as the Ministry of Health moves to improve security at the facility. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, said that a contract valuing $13.6 million was signed on February 1 to put in perimeter fencing at the hospital. The work is being funded by the National Health...

Thousands of residents of St.Thomas and Portland are set to benefit from upgrading of the Isaac Barrant Health Centre in Golden Grove, which will be developed into a centre of excellence. Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, on Thursday, February 7, signed two of three contracts valued at just over $25 million for development of the infrastructure and services...

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on February 6 handed over a cash grant for US$40,000 to the Ministry of Health’s vector control/dengue outbreak control and prevention programme. The money, which was handed over during a press briefing at the Ministry of Health, downtown Kingston, will be used to purchase 18 fogging machines and a drum of Malathion, one of...

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says his Ministry will be partnering with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to develop clear strategies to address the increase in violence-related injuries, which he said, are having a major impact on the local health sector. Dr. Fenton, who is also chairman of CARPHA, was addressing...

Deputy Executive Director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, has assured that there are no health concerns regarding the 25 Haitians who arrived in Portland by boat on February 5. He said the Ministry of Health has already conducted tests for diseases, such as malaria and dengue. Mr. Thompson was speaking at Wednesday’s, February...

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is currently developing a five-year strategic plan, aimed at boosting its intake of blood from donors to at least 50,000 units per annum. The NBTS, also known as the Blood Bank, is the central public health institution responsible for collecting, storing and allocating blood, based on medical needs. Former NBTS Director, Dr. Lundie Richards,...

Some 1,250 persons with specific eye conditions, benefitted from 1,410 procedures conducted under the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care programme during 2012. This was disclosed by Co-ordinator of the programme, Gregory Thomas, in an interview with JIS News. He further informed that over 16,000 consultations also took place last year. The programme, which seeks to help reduce preventable blindness in adults, evolved...

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for 7.6 million deaths, which is around 13% of all deaths in 2008. Seventy percent of all cancer related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries such as Jamaica. In Jamaica, cancer is one of the top five causes of death in our population. According to data from the Registrar...

Minister of Health, the Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, has pledged Jamaica’s full support in working with the new Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Carissa Etienne. Dr. Ferguson was speaking to JIS News after participating in Thursday’s (January 31) swearing in ceremony for Dr. Etienne, held at the PAHO/World Health Organization headquarters in Washington DC. A native...

Director of Family Health Services, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, is encouraging Jamaicans to utilise the proper sanitation and personal hygiene measures, in an effort to prevent themselves and their children from contracting gastroenteritis. Dr. Lewis-Bell emphasizes that this is critical, especially as it relates to handwashing. The Ministry of Health is reporting an increase in the incidence of gastroenteritis in children...

Nutritionist, Dr. Pauline Samuda, says that while exclusive breastfeeding has increased in Jamaica, greater effort must be taken to ensure that the practice is sustained for longer than six weeks. Her comment came against the findings of an exclusive breastfeeding pilot carried out by the Ministry of Health, which found a fall off in exclusive breastfeeding rates after the first...