Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging beverage manufacturers to adopt measures that support the reduction of sugar content as part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to promote healthier consumption patterns and lifestyle choices among Jamaicans. He made the call while addressing the official opening ceremony for the newly renovated Belfield Community Health Centre in...

Public health teams in Westmoreland inspected more than 25,000 homes in January as part of intensified mosquito control measures, identifying nearly 3,000 premises with active breeding sites. Chief Public Health Inspector, Steve Morris, reported that inspections were conducted in 2,209 localities during the month, resulting in the identification and treatment of thousands of mosquito breeding containers. He outlined that 72,941...

More than 1,200 bait stations have been deployed across Westmoreland under the expanded rodent-control programme. This initiative aims to improve environmental sanitation and safeguard public health. Chief Public Health Inspector for Westmoreland, Steve Morris, reported that 1,234 bait stations have been placed in targeted communities. The initiative forms part of broader mitigation efforts undertaken since the start of the year....

The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) has welcomed the move to impose a Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on non-alcoholic beverages containing added sugar or other caloric sweeteners, as a victory for preventive medicine and the long-term health of the population. Declaring support for the Government’s action, MAJ President, Professor Marvin Reid, said the group’s position on the tax has to...

A $131-million investment by the Ministry of Health and Wellness has transformed the Belfield Community Health Centre in St. Mary, significantly enhancing the delivery of primary healthcare services in the area. The renovation, undertaken by the North East Regional Health Authority (NEHRA), which funded the project design at a cost of $10.1 million, was supported by $60 million from the...

The St. James Health Department’s Integrated Vector Control Programme is delivering measurable results, with the parish’s Breteau Index (BI) reduced from 67.9 per cent to 24.6 per cent. The BI is a public health metric used to measure the density of mosquito breeding sites, particularly those of the Aedes aegypti, the primary vector for diseases like Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya....

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Krystal Lee, says the Government remains steadfast in its commitment to improving maternal and newborn care to safeguard women and their babies. “We recognise the immense burden of risk women are exposed to when receiving care during childbirth and those faced by newborn babies in the first few weeks...