The National Housing Trust (NHT) is the organisation set up by the Government of Jamaica to provide housing solutions to its contributors at affordable interest rates. As part of their mandate, the NHT has developed initiatives to make it easier for contributors with a disability to own a home. These initiatives are outlined below. Special Disabilities Grant A $150,000 grant...

In the first quarter of 2020, nearly 50% of cases seen at the Kingston and St. Andrew Family Court were related to child support. Child support is the ongoing periodic payment made by a parent for the benefit of a child and usually follows the end of a marriage or other relationship. Child Support is enforced by the Maintenance Act...

The World Health Organization (WHO) states there are around 50 million people living with epilepsy globally. Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable disease of the brain. It is identified by recurrent seizures which are brief incidents of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalised). The seizures are sometimes accompanied by loss of...

Telemedicine is the delivery of healthcare services and the exchange of medical information remotely using electronic communication technologies, such as video conferencing and telephone calling. In 2018 the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) launched a telemedicine pilot project for the benefit of persons in remote areas and those with mobility issues. The project, which is ongoing, aims to allow such persons...

The official start of the 2020/2021 academic year will be October 05, 2020. It will be unlike any other as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In order to adhere to the guidelines put in place by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) to stem the spread of the virus, several changes to the operation of schools have been implemented for...

The United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) shows that as of May 2020, 1.8 billion people are living in a state of homelessness or inadequate shelter globally. In Jamaica, there are approximately 14,000 people registered as poor. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has implemented the Indigent Housing Programme to provide housing solutions for the poor. This initiative...

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 annually and is forecasted to be ‘above normal’ in 2020. The forecasts show 13-19 named storms, with six to ten being hurricanes and three to six being major hurricanes. The last major hurricane in Jamaica – Hurricane Sandy – occurred on October 24, 2012 and cost the Government of Jamaica...