One-Minute Reads: News from across Jamaica

Agriculture ministry says no ongoing egg importation

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is advising that there is no ongoing importation of eggs under the temporary arrangement, as the waiver of duty on egg imports officially ended on February 28.

In a release, the ministry said that no new import permits have been issued since last December. The ministry noted that the temporary decision to facilitate egg imports through a duty waiver was made at the request of the Jamaica Egg Farmers' Association, as the sector sought to stabilise supply during a period of significant disruption. More than 60 per cent of the eggs imported under that arrangement were brought in by local egg producers. The ministry said that temporary import measures are not intended to undermine domestic agriculture, but to support market stability in times of genuine need. With the sector now demonstrating recovery, the focus is firmly on strengthening domestic production, improving resilience and continuing targeted support to farmers.

PNP concerned about charges against former MP

The People's National Party Women's Movement (PNP WM) said it has taken note of the report that a former member of parliament has been charged with incest.

In a release, the entity said it sees the matter as a profoundly serious charge and welcomed that the leadership of the People's National Party has taken steps to review the membership of the individual.

"We hope that the matter will be resolved in the shortest possible time and that justice will prevail," the statement read. The PNP WM said the report can only help to give courage to other victims, who are experiencing or have experienced such heinous acts of sexual violence, to make their own reports.

"To rid our culture of this, we must create safe spaces where reports can be made, and appropriate charges be laid," the group said. The PNP WM cited a UNICEF survey done in 2023 that indicated that, locally, 23.7 per cent of girls and 11.7 per cent of boys experience sexual violence as children. Approximately 25 per cent of the perpetrators are family members.

SERHA offers free pap smear screenings

In observance of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in April, select health centres in the South East Regional Health Authority will be offering free pap smear screenings and human papilloma virus vaccinations aimed at promoting early detection and prevention of cervical cancer.

The vaccines will be administered to males aged nine to 14 and females aged nine to 26. The vaccinations and pap smears will be administered today at Glen Vincent Health Centre - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in St Andrew. The following centres are in St Catherine - Saturday, April 11 at Kitson Town Health Centre; Sunday, April 12 at Sydenham Health Centre; Sunday, April 19 at the Central Village and Cumberland health centres; and Sunday, April 26 at St Jago Park Health Centre. The hours for the St Catherine centres are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Additionally, these sessions will be used to educate the targeted group on the importance of early screening and vaccination, while increasing public awareness about the need for regular check-ups.

UTech contact investigators to fight disease spread

In collaboration with the health ministry, UTech, Jamaica, through its School of Public Health and Health Technology, has successfully trained and certified the first cohort of 22 contact investigators, adding new expertise to Jamaica's frontline public health sector workforce.

The graduates, who have been trained to conduct disease surveillance and contact control, received their certifications on March 25, during an official closing ceremony held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew. The joint Contact Investigator Training Programme involved an intensive 14-month training. It consisted of 13 weeks of online instruction, a five-day workshop and 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork across regional health authorities. Delivering remarks on behalf of Dr Kevin Brown, UTech, Jamaica's president, Dr Deon Bennett, associate professor and dean, Joint Colleges of Medicine, Oral Health and Veterinary Sciences, said that the initiative is a critical step in advancing national health capacity.

"By identifying, tracing, and managing contacts, you play a crucial role in limiting the spread of infectious diseases, protecting vulnerable populations, and strengthening the resilience of our healthcare system," she said.