KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Health has a great partnership with Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS).

The work that is being done in their islandwide outreach and mobile screening, particularly in rural and underserved communities contributes to the advancement of the Primary Health Care/community-focused approach, which we believe is important to stem the tide of non communicable diseases (NCDs), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Kevin Harvey said while speaking on behalf of Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson, at the Jamaica Cancer Society’s 60th Anniversary Launch and Lecture on Monday.

“The subsidised services and free offerings which the JCS provides contribute to the strides being made by the ministry towards fully achieving Universal Access to Health and Universal Health Coverage. In fact, the Jamaica Cancer Society will be one of our key stakeholders in a high-level dialogue to look at how we can move further towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.”

The high-level dialogue, which is being coordinated and led by the Ministry of Health and PAHO, will be held on the 29th and 30th of April, 2015.

Dr Harvey went on to say that the Ministry of Health’s Health Promotion activities around the prevention and control of cancer were also positively impacted by the work of JCS. It has “undoubtedly been augmented by the Jamaica Cancer Society’s public education campaigns and special events such as Relay for Life and the Breast Cancer 5K walk/run”.

After highlighting and commending the work of the Jamaica Cancer Society for the past 60 years, Dr Harvey challenged people who had not yet “joined the band of persons who continue to donate their time, money and technical expertise to the JCS” to do so now. He said cancer affects everybody and “this means there is a role that everybody can play”.

The 60th Anniversary Launch and Lecture of the Jamaica Cancer Society was held at King’s House under the patronage of the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen.