The Ministry of Health and Wellness is moving to assess the structural integrity of 105 health centres, damaged in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the Ministry has engaged four to five engineering firms to examine the facilities that were in the hurricane's primary impact zone. The assessment, he said, will determine whether...

Students from Haile Selassie High School in Kingston, are among the first to benefit from a new mobile mental-health service that will support schools in Zones of Special Operations (ZOZOs), as well as those in western Jamaica, affected by Hurricane Melissa. The Wellness Express – Adolescent Mental Health Mobile Service was officially launched at the school on Friday (February 13)....

A total of 226 primary-care facilities are slated for rehabilitation and modernisation in the new financial year. Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, made the announcement while delivering the Throne Speech to open the 2026/2027 legislative year in Gordon House on Thursday (February 12). He said that improvements will also be done on the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital in...

Jamaicans are being urged to prioritise routine cancer screenings as part of efforts to reduce late-stage diagnosis and improve survival rates. Executive Director at the Jamaica Cancer Society, Roshane Reid-Koomson stressed that delayed screening often means delayed diagnosis. “That can be the big difference between a cancer that is treatable and one that is life-threatening,” she told JIS News. Mrs....

Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Krystal Lee (second right), applauds the unveiling of a new wellness bench at the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester. Removing the cover to reveal the seating are (from left) Chief Executive Officer, Mandeville Regional Hospital, Alwyn Miller; Regional Technical Director, Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), Dr. Vitillius Holder; and Chairman-designate, SRHA,...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has launched Jamaica’s National Strategic Plan for HIV (2023-2030), which is aimed at reducing new HIV infections by 40 per cent by 2030. The plan marks a decisive step in strengthening the response to HIV. “[It] has an objective of ensuring that every person can be healthy, productive and safe in a Jamaica free...

Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Georgia Rose, is encouraging separated parents to prioritise the well-being of their children by supporting healthy relationships with both parents, even when personal conflicts remain unresolved. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Ms. Rose explained that separation can be emotionally complex and often requires parents to manage difficult feelings,...