THE Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) and Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) will over the next two years work together to raise the level of awareness among athletes and their support personnel about the health consequences of doping.

The partnership, which was established through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on on December 8, will see members of the JMDA making presentations about banned substances, on behalf of JADCO, at workshops islandwide.

Executive Director of JADCO Carey Brown said the anti-doping agency was looking forward to empowering athletes and their support personnel through the partnership.

“JADCO’s public education programme includes information on banned substances and methods on the WADA Prohibited List, and we believe medical practitioners are the best persons to deliver this information to athletes and their support personnel,” he said. “Our athletes will benefit extensively from the expertise of the doctors and the partnership will prove to be mutually beneficial for both JADCO and the JMDA.”

In the meantime, Dr Alfred Dawes, president of the JMDA, commended the anti-doping agency on their efforts to educate local athletes about banned substances and pledged the support of doctors, through their expertise, in strengthening the programme.

The agreement will run through December 8, 2016.

The JMDA, formerly the Junior Doctors’ Association, was founded in 1975. Registered as a Trade Union in 2004, the JMDA represents all medical doctors in the government health services who work below the rank of consultant, including medical interns, senior house officers and medical officers, levels I-III. While JADCO was formally established as the national anti-doping organisation of Jamaica, with the passage of the Anti-Doping in Sport Act of 2008. Its mission is to foster a dope-free environment in Jamaica that promotes the ethics and spirit of sport through education, testing, advocacy, and coordination of an effective Anti-Doping Programme.