"Jamaica Moves Programme" to be expanded to schools
2024-07-07 14:45:34

JAMAICA: To save the nation's youth from getting non-communicable diseases (NCDs) health minister Christopher Tufton said that the "Jamaica Moves programme" will be expanded to schools and it will start from this month.
"The Jamaica Moves team will be focusing more on direct contact and engagement with youth" said Dr Tufton.
"Because of the success of the programme, we have all concluded that it must continue and it must expand, so we are going into the schools come this month into next month. It'll be gradual, so the launch will be a soft launch, and the aim is to get our younger population to be more active through physical education," he said.
He noted that some aspects of the intervention in schools will be guided by the new nutrition policy, which will become effective next year.
Jamaica Moves is part of the National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs, which covers seven main categories of diseases - cardiovascular conditions, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, sickle cell, mental health disorders and chronic renal failure.
"Beyond that, the programme will be more active in the workplace. We're going to be pushing a lot of health and wellness programmes. We've already commenced that through the training of instructors, who will be made available to corporate entities to organise health and wellness programmes within the workplace," the minister said.
Dr Tufton pointed out that Jamaica Moves will also continue to focus on community interventions.
"There will be the normal activation in the field at the community level, not just in the town squares, but around health centres in the smaller towns, so expect a lot more from Jamaica Moves and its initiatives," he said.
The campaign was launched in April 2017 and focuses on community-level interventions to facilitate increased physical activity among the population.
In 2017, Jamaica Moves hosted its inaugural Corporate Challenge, where members of the private sector were encouraged to form teams; register with the campaign; and participate in ongoing activities, including six 5K races on the national race calendar.
Monika Walker is an experienced journalist specializing in global political developments and international relations. With a keen eye for accuracy and analysis, Monika has been reporting for over a decade, bringing stories to light that matter to readers around the world. She holds a degree in International Journalism and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities through factual reporting.
Latest
- Wonder of the Seas brings nearly 7000 visitors to St Kitts,...
-
Guyana: Corentyne man brutally beats partner at nightclub, s... -
Guyana Elections 2025: GBTI faces backlash after firing empl... -
Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam makes emergenc... -
Bahamas: Triple shooting leaves one dead, two injured in Sun...