Westmoreland Health Department Steps Up Public Education

The Westmoreland Health Department has intensified its public sensitisation efforts in order to arm residents with the necessary information to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

In an interview with JIS News, Health Promotion and Education Officer, Gerald Miller, said that a “more integrated approached” is being undertaken involving various personnel.

He said that persons employed as temporary vector-control workers under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme are being engaged to disseminate informational materials to the public.

He noted that more than 2,000 leaflets have been distributed, to date.

In addition, he informed that Community Peer Educators have been trained and equipped with information on COVID-19 prevention, “so that they too can go out and share the knowledge with people they might come in contact with”.

Peer educators work in communities to sensitise the public about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Mr. Miller told JIS News that faith-based organisations have also been educated about hygiene measures, and primary and secondary healthcare personnel have been engaged in sensitisation sessions, so that they can play their part in educating others about the virus.

“We continue to sensitise our staff. I did a session with the environmental Community Health Aide (CHA) workers and we did one with vector-control workers. This week, we have sensitisation planned for other health staff in the Whitehouse area,” he indicated.

He told JIS News that a weekly report is submitted to the Ministry of Health and Wellness on activities being undertaken.