The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Jamaica is one of two UNAIDS priority countries in the Caribbean. While...
THE MEDICAL care of patients infected with HIV is a problem involving a complex, multisystem disease process, multiple hospitalisations, invasive diagnostic testing, and an extremely high mortality rate. Hospital-based medical services are...
World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 each year. It is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to remember those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded...
JAMAICANS LIVING with HIV/AIDS have been able to access clinicians, laboratories and pharmacies within the private sector with the advent of Health Connect Jamaica (HCJ), which has been mandated to expand access to, and utilisation of, high-...
THE JAMAICA Network of Seropositives (JN+), one of Jamaica’s staunchest campaigners for the upliftment of persons living with HIV/AIDS, is encouraging Jamaicans to join the fight to eliminate stigma and discrimination against persons who are...
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, when people displaying the common symptoms of lung cancer, such as a persistent cough, breathlessness or unexplained weight loss, are encouraged to visit their doctors. Lung cancer is estimated to be the...
EPILEPSY IS a central nervous system, neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. Anyone can develop epilepsy and it affects both...
STOP AND think for a minute that you are going about your daily affairs, then you catch a cold that refuses to go away after many attempts with over-the-counter medications. You think it could be something quite simple and visit your doctor to...
BREAST RECONSTRUCTION is surgery to recreate breasts after a mastectomy or lumpectomy. There are several types of breast reconstruction and some techniques use implants, including silicone or saline. Others use tissue from your body, such as the...
The early detection of breast cancer in women is important for the effective management of the disease. Although there is no current treatment to prevent breast cancer, early detection of the disease can lead to an excellent outcome. Early...
Your oral health is more important than you might realise. Did you know the health of your mouth, teeth and gums can affect your general health? Oral health means the health of your mouth, no matter your age, and it is vital to your general health...
October is being observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women? It estimated that each year, one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime....
Many lupus patients are still holding off on being vaccinated because they are waiting to have questions answered or to get permission from their doctors. However, accessing their doctors has become more difficult with the recent surge affecting...
A HEALTHY heart is central to overall good health. Embracing a healthy lifestyle at any age can prevent heart disease and lower one’s risk for a heart attack or stroke. You are never too old or too young to begin taking care of your heart. True,...
SEPTEMBER IS Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to recognise the children and families affected by childhood cancers and to emphasise the importance of supporting research on these devastating conditions. This month, and throughout the year...
No one can tell you exactly what will happen. How prostate cancer affects you will depend on many things. Twelve years ago, for Michael Jureidini, after years of low and stable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, the readings started to...
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men, and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer. The month of September has been designated as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to bring attention to this...
A picture speaks a thousand words and on a day when Jamaica breaks out in multiple radiant colours, the pictures are exceptional. This is Jamaica’s 59th year of Independence. A country that has fought against all odds for its freedom, where all...
Just like the euphoria that gripped the newly born Jamaica on August 6, 1962, when the country became independent from colonial rule, similar excitement will once again engulf the country this year. Considering the global impact of the COVID-19...
WORLD HEPATITIS Day (WHD) takes places every year on July 28, bringing the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. The day is being held under the theme: ‘Hepatitis Can’t Wait’....
Child abuse and neglect is a social and public health problem, as well as a children’s rights issue in Jamaica. Abuse and neglect can lead to a wide range of adverse consequences for children and young people. Child abuse and neglect refers to any...
Living with sickle cell disease can be a challenge; however, people with sickle cell disease can live full lives and enjoy most of the activities that other people do. Given that the condition is hereditary, Terran Wright was diagnosed with the...
Cancer may develop in anyone at any time, but historically, cancer is diagnosed in men more often than women. Some cancers only affect men because they develop in the male reproductive system, which includes the prostate, testicles and penis. June...
“You can sing!” I exclaimed. His voice, clear and melodious, rose succinctly above the heat of the midday sun that pelted us as we sat on the veranda. It’s never good to judge a book by its cover, and certainly the story of Roger Brown* will warm...
CHILDREN ARE not the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but they risk being among its biggest victims, as children’s lives are being changed in profound ways. All children, of all ages, and in all countries, are being affected, in particular by the...
