October is Portland Health Month

The Portland Health Department has designated October as Portland Health Month, and a number of activities have been planned to mark the observance.

The month of activities, which will be held under the theme: ‘Preserving the nation’s wealth thru’ personal and community health’, will get underway on Sunday, October 2 with a church service at the Manchioneal Anglican Church, to be followed by the official launch on Tuesday, October 4 at the West Harbour Plaza in Port Antonio.

During the month, citizens of Claverty Cottage, Sherwood Forest, Spring Hill, Comfort Castle and Mount Pleasant will benefit from community outreach, while health education sessions will be held in Fruitful Vale, Swift River, Fair Prospect and Cooper’s Hill.

Other activities include a health exposition at the Port Antonio Hospital; a healthy lifestyle workshop at the Fair Prospect High School and a health fair at the Mount Pleasant Health Centre.

The observance will culminate with a tour of water supply systems in the communities of Reich and Lennox on Monday, October 31.

Valerie McLeary, Health Educator at the Portland Health Department, told JIS News that the events would be spread across the parish to reach as many residents as possible.

She noted that special focus would be placed on the promotion and maintenance of family health during the month, adding that among the services to be offered will be immunization, pap smear and prostate and breast examinations.

Mrs. McLeary also informed, that emphasis would be placed on the dangers of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and public fora would be held in a number of communities to sensitise residents about how to protect themselves against these diseases.