Health trends

Red Cross reaches out

As families and individuals grapple with loss, dislocation and other hardships in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole, the Jamaica Red Cross is responding by partnering with other agencies to conduct damage and need assessments, and distribute urgently needed relief items. To date, approximately 2,179 families in 99 communities have been reached.

Director General Yvonne Clarke said that the Red Cross is directing its major relief efforts to the parishes that have been hardest hit, with special focus on Westmoreland, where the damage was considerable. A special Red Cross National Intervention Team, including a shelter specialist who is assessing the need for housing recovery, has been deployed to Westmoreland. Red Cross staff and volunteers working in the targeted parishes are distributing tarpaulins; blankets; hygiene, kitchen and cleaning kits; buckets; mosquito nets and mosquito repellents.

- Source: Jamaica Red Cross

Beth Jacobs Clinic's campaign

A quality of care survey conducted at the Beth Jacobs Clinic in June 2010 revealed that most clients were referred by either a friend or a relative for services. It's against this background that FAMPLAN Jamaica is presenting the 'bring a friend and show how much you care' campaign at the Beth Jacobs Clinic starting October 19. This campaign is aimed at people bringing a friend/relative to access one of four key services: a Pap smear, contraceptive method, and HIV testing or child/adult immunisation.

The friend referring will then receive a Famplan gift bag as an incentive. The gifts for the bags are provided by a long list of sponsors that value health. These include Easispice, Soft Sheen Carson, Facey Commodity/Durex Condoms, Supreme Chemicals, Creation Foods, Sophia Fletcher (Avon products), Outrigger Trading Company, Hakhas, Baking Enterprises and Jamaica Biscuit Company.

- Source: FAMPLAN Jamaica