St. Thomas Students Benefit from ‘Healthy You Expo’

High-school students from across St. Thomas were among the beneficiaries of an STI Awareness Month Expo, held at Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay on April 17.

The event, dubbed ‘The Healthy You Expo’, was organised by the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) and attracted a wide cross-section of participants, including students, youth groups, and community members.

Designed to engage young people in meaningful and interactive ways, the Expo focused on promoting awareness, prevention, and healthy decision-making regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and overall well-being.

SERHA Parish Behaviour Change Communication Coordinator for St. Thomas, Nahenda Brown, explained that the initiative formed part of activities to mark STI Awareness Month and addressed concerning trends among young people.

“It was in recognition of STI Awareness Month, and what this event [aimed] to do [was] to get students from all the high schools across the parish and give them the information, because we see where there’s a decline in knowledge among the 15 to 24 population (age group) in terms of the facts about HIV,” she added.

Ms. Brown further stated, “Our aim as the Behavior Change Team for the parish is primarily just to increase awareness among the population.”

She underscored the importance of access to accurate information, noting that, “when persons have the information they need, we see where… it is really impactful”.

The Expo featured a range of activities, including interactive information booths, free HIV testing and counselling, educational presentations, youth-focused engagements, and ‘Know Your Numbers’ health screening services.

Several organisations participated in the event, including the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) St. Thomas Regional Office, National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), SERHA’s St. Thomas Behaviour Change Communication Team, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), National Health Fund (NHF), University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), Excelsior Community College, Island Traffic Authority (ITA), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) St. Thomas parish office, St. Thomas Health Department, Teen Hub St. Thomas, and the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

STI Awareness Month is observed each April as part of ongoing public health efforts to increase education, awareness, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.