• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

Govt. Spending Millions on Water and Food Safety Programmes

October 7, 2004

The Full Story

Government has spent an estimated $12.4 million on its public education programme so far, focusing on water safety, food safety and mosquito control to prevent any outbreak of diseases, as the country continues to recover from Hurricane Ivan, which hit the island four weeks ago.
In a statement to the House of Representatives yesterday (October 5), Minister of Health, John Junor said all parishes had been conducting health education, targeting the worst affected communities. He said special attention had been given to shelters, schools and communities with interrupted water supply. “All forms of media, including cable channels and town criers have been utilized to disseminate the messages. A large number of brochures and flyers on water safety, mosquito control and food safety tips have been printed and distributed to affected areas,” Mr. Junor informed.
The Minister further explained that $5.5 million of the total cost of the programme had been given by the National Health Fund and $4 million by Capital and Credit Merchant Bank. In addition, the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica is contributing $2 million to the campaign, channelling funds through the Paediatric Association of Jamaica.
Mr. Junor said most parishes were receiving between 80 and 90 per cent of their water supply as the Ministry continued to monitor the water quality across the island, working closely with the National Water Commission, Parish Councils, and private providers to improve drinking water quality. He advised persons to continue to treat their water by boiling or using bleach, as the appearance of clear water did not necessarily mean that the water was safe. Mr. Junor reiterated that all water used for drinking, making ice, preparing food, washing fruits and vegetables, dishes and utensils should be treated.

Last Updated: October 7, 2004

Skip to content