Lowe urges more reporting on wellness, healthy lifestyles
DR Henry Lowe, the outgoing president of Blue Cross of Jamaica, yesterday urged journalists to use their positions as disseminators of information to encourage wellness and healthy lifestyle habits in Jamaica.
“Our passionate message to all Jamaicans, whether they are subscribers or not, is that they must take control of their health,” said Lowe, who demits office on November 1.
He was speaking at a media appreciation brunch at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston.
“There are already some excellent columns, features and programmes on health,” the outgoing Blue Cross CEO said, but noted that while the message of wellness “may not have the sensationalism of a general election nor the attraction of a beauty contest, it is a message which will affect the very foundation of our nation”.
Lowe also highlighted Blue Cross’ achievements over the past year, making particular mention of the company’s more than $1 billion revenue, citing the projects of the Blue Cross-created non- profit organisation, the Environmental Health Foundation (EHF) as great successes.
Through the EHF, the project to reduce lead poisoning and enhance public health started in 1995. The project, created when the problem of lead poisoning in the community of Frazer’s Content, St Catherine came to the public attention in the late 1980s, has resulted in the clean-up of 64 residences which had unacceptably high levels of the toxic element.
Working with other agencies such as the National Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the EHF trained members of the community to do income-generating activities that did not involve the backyard smelting works that initially created the lead diffusion. That community is now lead-free, and later this month, the project and its results will be analysed in an article by the West Indian Medical Journal, according to Lowe.
Richard Powell will assume the presidency of Blue Cross of Jamaica on November 1.