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Jamaica's delegation to the annual World Health General Assembly (WHGA) is traveling to Geneva this week. The delegation is being led by Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, who will be accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Grace Allen-Young and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shiela Campbell-Forrester. Some issues to be discussed at the World...

The Ministry of Health is assuring members of the public that there is no cause for alarm when healthcare workers wear protective gear to care for patients who present with flu-like symptoms. Medical personnel are advised to wear protective gear as a routine precautionary measure. This does not necessarily mean that the patient has been infected with the Influenza A...

There have still not been any confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in Jamaica, however, there has been a confirmation of one case in the Caribbean. In light of this the Ministry of Health has alerted all regions, parishes and critical sectors to ensure that priority strategies remain in place. These include continued heightened surveillance and monitoring activities...

Minister of Health Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has praised local nurses for the critical role they are playing in fostering the behavioural changes needed to improve the health status of Jamaicans. Mr. Spencer said this was vital, and in line with the Ministry's ongoing health promotion and protection drive, aimed at reducing chronic and lifestyle illnesses. Acting Chief Nursing Officer in...

The Ministry of Health is assuring members of the public that it will provide guidance at every stage as it relates to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, formerly called Swine Flu and will inform all sectors of any changes to the status quo locally, and internationally, guided by the World Health Organisation. Persons are being advised to stay informed by...

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Registrar General's Department (RGD), Dr. Patricia Holness, is calling on Jamaicans to treat each other with love, as one way to help in the improvement of the quality of life for all. "Can you imagine the type of society we would have if we treated each other with the love and respect our mothers...

The Ascot High School will be moving speedily to implement the security guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Education, to ensure the safety of the institution's student and teacher population. Education Minister, Andrew Holness, made this disclosure to JIS News following meetings with school administrators and teachers of the Portmore-based institution yesterday (May 7). The discussions came in the wake...

When 32-year old Ricardo Lee succumbed to complications associated with vasculitis last year, his mother, Olive Creary was devastated. She recalls that at the time, local doctors knew of no case in Jamaica of anyone dying from the rare but debilitating disease. Mourning the loss of her only child but determined to draw attention to the condition, Mrs. Creary decided...

As part of our routine surveillance, the Ministry of Health has been undertaking testing of samples collected from persons who present with flu-like symptoms and all our samples to date have been negative for Influenza A (H1N1) formerly called Swine Flu. This means that there is still no evidence of the virus in Jamaica. The MOH is however continuing its...

The Ministry of Health is re-assuring the public that the country is adequately prepared to deal with an outbreak of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in Jamaica, should there be such an occurrence. Director of Emergency and Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry, Dr. Marion Bullock-Ducasse, said that there are adequate supplies of the two anti-virals recommended for...

The Ministry of Health has been continuing efforts at heightening surveillance and monitoring at the nation's ports to prevent any possible spread of the Influenza A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) virus in the island. The MOH has been interviewing arriving air and sea port passengers who are visibly ill and are displaying signs or symptoms of influenza, to check for Influenza...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding has confirmed that the health authorities now have the capacity to do local testing for Influenza A (H1N1). "Up to last week, specimens would have had to be sent to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) in Port-of-Spain for analysis. We have now received the necessary primers and we have the reagents and the competence...