Caribbean News
Jamaicans urged to practice good oral health
#Kingston, May 9, 2019 – Jamaica – Chief Dental Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Irving McKenzie, is imploring Jamaicans to take care of their dental health as they age.
He told JIS News that while the country has made strides in combatting childhood dental challenges, particularly among the five to six and 12 to 13 age cohorts, as persons grow older, they seem to depart from good dental practices.
“Jamaica has become successful in reducing the disease burden due to dental caries (tooth decay or cavities) from 6.7 to 0.8. However, when you look on the graph about the severity of caries, it is increasing with age,” Dr. McKenzie said.
He was speaking with JIS News at a dental fair for adolescents held on Monday (May 6), at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre in St. Andrew.
Dr. McKenzie said that “good oral health matters” and will not only ensure that teeth last a lifetime but contribute to overall wellness. He noted that many children spend “considerable time out of school” due to illness related to dental decay. He said that facial disfigurement can also result from irregular dental care.
The dental health fair was held as part of activities to observe Dental Auxiliary Week, and included free checks and cleaning for scores of adolescents.
Dental nurse and Regional Dental Auxiliary Coordinator at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Sharon Headman, said parents should help their children to develop good oral health habits.
“Parents should ensure that their children always get their six-month checkup and for the students, they must realise that they have a responsibility, too, to get themselves orally fit. Oral health is important, because good health begins in the mouth,” she said.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
Photo Caption:
Header: Chief Dental Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Irving McKenzie (centre), engages in discussion with Consultant Dental Surgeon in the Ministry, Dr. Rena Francis (left); and Coordinator for the Ministry’s Adolescence Health Programme, Joy Chambers. Occasion was a dental health fair for adolescents on Monday (May 6), at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre in St. Andrew.
Insert: Dental Auxiliary Coordinator at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Sharon Headman, speaks with JIS News at a dental health fair for adolescents on Monday (May 6), at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre in St. Andrew.
Photos by Adrian Walker
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
-
TCI News1 week agoExperience Turks and Caicos and Ministry of Tourism explore development of Cruise industry at Seatrade Global Cruise Conference
-
Latin America and Caribbean6 days agoRegional SDGs Update
-
Crime1 week agoFollowing Court ruling, US Embassy Doubles Down on Warning: DO NOT TRAVEL TO TCI WITH GUNS, AMMO
-
Bahamas News7 days agoEnvironment State-Minister updates ‘Our Ocean’ forum on The Bahamas as SIDS leader in sustainable tourism
-
Caribbean News1 week agoU.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SHINES AS A PREMIER DESTINATION AT THE 2024 SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
-
Bahamas News5 days agoPacesetting Cohort of Eleuthera Residents Graduate from Leading Light Programme
-
Caribbean News1 week agoRBC appoints new Head of Caribbean Banking
-
Bahamas News6 days agoNassau Cruise Port Donates Nearly $2 Million Towards Food Security