ST JAMES, Jamaica — The National Health Fund (NHF) and the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) have partnered to participate in the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run Health and Wellness Day, scheduled for Tuesday at Harmony Beach Park, Montego Bay.

This community event will feature:
• Free health checks
• Fitness sessions and wellness talks
• Nutrition education
• Product sampling and giveaways
• Blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and BMI tests
• HIV/Syphilis screenings
• Pap smears

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, has officially declared the week leading up to the ninth staging of the Jill Stewart MoBay City 5K and 10K Run as “Jill Stewart MoBay City Run Wellness Week.”

The 5K and 10K event is set to take place in the tourism capital on Sunday, May 4.

According ding to a release from organisers of the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, Executive Director of the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS), Roshane Reid-Koomson, expressed the society’s pride in partnering with the event.

She said the JCS, with tremendous support from the National Health Fund, will offer 100 free Pap smears at the health and wellness fair on April 29, and is exploring the possibility of providing mammograms, reflecting their shared commitment to early cancer detection and improved healthcare access,” the release stated.

“The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) is proud to partner with the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run, an initiative that aligns strongly with our mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem in Jamaica through cancer education, screening, early detection, and patient support. This partnership also supports our strategic direction to extend our reach to vulnerable and underserved populations across the island,” she said.

“We look forward to standing alongside other partners and the wider MoBay community in what promises to be a meaningful and impactful event,” she added.

Reid-Koomson emphasised that the partnership supports the JCS’s new strategic focus on reaching vulnerable and underserved communities across the island, noting that the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run provides an ideal opportunity to expand outreach and increase access to screening and educational services in western Jamaica.

“This partnership comes at a time when the Jamaica Cancer Society is advancing a new strategic approach, one that prioritises reaching vulnerable and underserved populations — including communities outside of Kingston. So, we’re taking health services across the island through a renewed thrust,” she said.

“Therefore, the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run provides an excellent opportunity for us to expand our outreach efforts in western Jamaica, increasing access to life-saving screening and educational services.”

The Western Regional Health Authority, which hosted an aerobic session at Harmony Beach Park on Sunday, will be offering a range of medical tests at the health and wellness fair at the same venue tomorrow.

Additionally, on the day of the run/walk, a team of about 30 individuals from the region will participate in the event.

The run is the brainchild of Montego Bay journalist Janet Silvera.