Health ministry urges Jamaicans to do early screenings

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is urging Jamaicans to begin the health screening process and to know their numbers earlier than the generally recommended time.                                 
Risk Factor Programme Development Officer in the Ministry, Dr Cathi-Ann Williams, said that people usually begin doing executive profiles at the age of 40, but argued that with the high incidence of early onset of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), her advice is for younger people to take a proactive approach to knowing their health status.

She was addressing the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jamaica Medical Foundation.                     

Dr Williams cited the  marked increase in the prevalence of NCDs among young people.                                 

She pointed out that NCDs are the leading cause of death in Jamaica and lamented that certain diseases are on the rise among this demographic.             
“We are witnessing an increase in childhood obesity, hypertension and inactivity among young people as well as a prevalence of a diet of fast food, all of which contribute to NCDs,” she noted.

For his part, Chairman of the Jamaica Medical Foundation (the outreach arm of the insurance industry), Orville Johnson, emphasised the importance of personal responsibility in health matters.                     

He said that with health information readily available on the Internet, persons are able to inform themselves about health matters.

The ministry has taken steps to tackle the issue of NCDs through the Jamaica Moves Programme, to combat physical inactivity, and the Know Your Numbers Programme, to encourage screening for early detection.             

The ministry has also prioritised food labelling to address obesity, which is a modifiable risk factor for NCDs.