Health

Vaping products a smoking cessation tool...but? 5:30 pm

Twenty years ago, a Jamaican doctor picked up the habit of smoking cigarettes. It didn't take him long to decide that he needed to quit.

'End inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics' 4:30 pm
FOR World AIDS Day, which will be celebrated on December 1, UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to end the inequalities that drive AIDS and other pandemics around the world.

Oral health and HIV 4:30 pm
HUMAN immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and HIV/AIDS can lead to certain dental symptoms.

JASL aiming to meet new treatment targets to end AIDS epidemic by 2030

Sunday, November 28, 2021

THE updated UNAIDS targets for 2025 (95-95-95) aim for 95 per cent of those living with HIV to know their status, 95 per cent of those who know their status to be on treatment and 95 per cent of those on treatment to be virally suppressed.

…What a beautiful thing it is to donate, instead of waste the organs of a deceased loved one

Monday, November 22, 2021

AS bleak as the facts and figures surrounding chronic kidney disease in Jamaica are, it gets worse, said Dr Barton, a type of kidney disease gladiator who heads the Caribbean Institute of Nephrology.

Perineoplasty and you

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Trishanna is a 28-year-old female who gave vaginal birth to a healthy six-pound girl. During her delivery she received an episiotomy to her perineum to aid with the safe delivery of her daughter. Episotomies are fairly common during deliveries and are easily repaired by the obstetrician...

Should I take aspirin to prevent heart disease and stroke?

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Last month the United States Preventative Services Task Force became the latest of several organisations to suggest decreasing the use of aspirin as an agent for primary prevention. We have had several of our patients ask whether this is advice that affects them and their care. Thus, we...

Protecting men's health

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Our quality of life is fully intertwined with how healthy we are to live it. Men, in particular, are less likely to get their health checked than women, often missing or ignoring key risk factors.

Improving life with diabetes using telehealth

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Could you count on one hand the number of people you know with diabetes in Jamaica? Are you one of these people? Diabetes is one of the most common illnesses affecting the Jamaican population today. Telemedicine provides a great opportunity for diabetic patients to get...

Sandals South Coast treats breast cancer 'warriors'

Monday, November 15, 2021

BRINGING the curtains down on Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Sandals South Coast, led by General Manager Adrian Whitehead, put a smile on the faces of breast cancer survivors in Westmoreland.

12 children receive life-saving heart procedures

Monday, November 15, 2021

THE Chain of Hope and Gift For Life Medical Mission returned to Jamaica after a nearly two-year hiatus to assist 12 children at the Bustamante Hospital for Children suffering from heart conditions.

About gestational diabetes

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Worldwide the prevalence of diabetes has increased over the years. In Jamaica, approximately 11.9 per cent of the population 15 years and older have diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes have a three-to-seven-fold increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes in the future. The good...

Gum disease and Diabetes

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the destruction of the supporting structures of the teeth (the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone). It is highly prevalent (severe periodontitis affects 10 to 15 per cent of adults) and has multiple negative...

Bureaucratic bottleneck crippling health-care access

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Last week we looked at strategies for improving access and inclusive health-care post-pandemic. We examined ways to improve access post-pandemic; investments in digital health care to enhance the patient relationship and cost-effective utilisation; optimising cost of care in...

'Access to diabetes care... The time is now!'

Sunday, November 14, 2021

TODAY is World Diabetes Day and it provides an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue and what needs to be done, collectively and individually, for better prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.

Meal planning for diabetics

Sunday, November 14, 2021

THE World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 2019, said diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death worldwide with an estimated 1.5 million deaths directly caused by the disease.

Diabetes 101

Sunday, November 7, 2021

NOVEMBER is Diabetes Awareness Month and diabetes, often referred to as 'sugar' in Jamaica, is a potentially life-threatening illness and is the second-leading cause of death for Jamaicans under the age of 70 years.

Strategies for improving access, inclusive health-care post-pandemic

Sunday, November 7, 2021

In recent weeks, there have been some press discussions about rising medical inflation, and health insurance providers have signalled a likely increase in premium payments. Currently, only an estimated 15 per cent of Jamaicans are covered by health insurance leaving about 85 per cent...