Westmoreland Residents Urged to Monitor Health in Fight Against Chronic Illnesses

Residents of Westmoreland are being encouraged to actively monitor their health and embrace healthier lifestyle choices, as part of ongoing efforts to curb the prevalence of chronic illnesses across the parish.

The call comes from Westmoreland’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Marcia Graham, who stressed that knowing one’s health status is vital to both preventing and managing chronic diseases.

She was addressing the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting in Savanna-la-Mar on May 14.

Dr. Graham advised that individuals should be aware of critical health indicators such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight-for-height measurements, while also keeping track of their HIV and syphilis status.

She underscored that adopting healthy habits is essential for controlling conditions like hypertension and asthma.

The Medical Officer highlighted that May is recognised as Hypertension Awareness Month, with this year’s theme being ‘Controlling Hypertension Together’.

“What you do every day in terms of your diet, in terms of taking your medication correctly and remaining physically active would help to control hypertension,” Dr. Graham said.

She is encouraging residents to participate in physical activity and avoid unhealthy lifestyle practices, particularly smoking.

The Medical Officer further noted that World No Tobacco Day will be observed on May 31, stressing that tobacco smoke can aggravate asthma symptoms.

Dr. Graham also urges individuals living with asthma to consistently use preventative medication to better manage the condition.

She explained that regular use of anti-inflammatory inhalers can significantly reduce asthma attacks and lower hospital visits.

“We are encouraging persons to do the routine maintenance of their asthma by using what we call the brown inhaler. It will decrease the frequency of the need for the rescue inhaler [and] the need to visit the accident and emergency room,” Dr. Graham said.

Meanwhile, the Medical Officer highlighted lupus awareness activities taking place during the month, noting that the disease often receives limited public attention.

“We want to increase awareness of this disease that can be controlled,” she said, encouraging empathy and support for persons living with lupus.

Dr. Graham informed Councillors that several medical missions are scheduled to take place across Westmoreland in the coming weeks through partnerships with overseas organisations.

She explained that these initiatives will give residents valuable opportunities to access health screenings and other essential medical services.

“We have external partners who are helping us so that we can know our numbers and enjoy optimal health,” Dr. Graham said.