KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Moves brand has been transferred from Market Me to the control of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, says portfolio minister Dr Christopher Tufton.

Making the confirmation yesterday, Dr Tufton said that the brand will continue to be the flagship physical activity programme for his ministry. He credited Market Me with creating the brand and coordinating its execution, including private sector support.

“They worked alongside the ministry, private sponsors, and NGO partners to create what has become a regional initiative. I would like to thank Market Me and other stakeholder partners for their efforts over the years,” Dr Tufton said.

He said that Jamaica Moves has been, and will continue to be the flagship physical activity programme for the ministry.

“I would also like to announce that today (Wednesday) we are launching a pilot software application (app) called ‘JaMoves on the Move!’ This app is a part of our initiative to promote self-monitoring of personal health status, by allowing individuals to check their blood pressure, blood glucose, weight and stomach mass and input data on the app on their phone, to receive health tips related to their readings,” he stated.

“The app has the capacity to even recommend that you see your doctor, if its assessment warrants this. You may recall that a big part of our challenge is not knowing our health status. This app will track your status based on these measurements and give important health advice,” he added.

He pointed out that Jamaica Moves was launched in 2017, as the ministry’s primary physical activity and, to a lesser extent, the nutrition branded programme.

“The brand, and what it represents, has had some impact since then. It has received endorsements from Caricom, the United Nations, PAHO, and the WHO. We now have Caribbean Moves, Barbados Moves, St Kitts and Nevis Moves, and Trinidad and Tobago Moves, all modelled off our Jamaica Moves,” he noted.

He said that the value of Jamaica Moves is not just in the physical activity programmes but, more importantly, it uses culture and the behavioural sciences to influence healthy lifestyle changes. The success of the programme also came from partnerships, especially public-private partnerships, he added.

“I would like to say thanks to the many persons and institutions who contributed to the creation and success of the Jamaica Moves brand, and what it has represented in the push against lifestyle diseases,” he said.

He also noted that over the 2019/2020 period, Jamaica Moves engaged with over 150 workplaces to promote healthy lifestyles, hosted focus groups across the island, managed social media pages with daily original content which saw a 53 percent growth in followers, over 12 million impressions and 183,000 engagements.

Balford Henry