The Ministry of Health has partnered with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to execute a National Coastal Cleanup on Sunday June 26, 2016 from 12:30pm to 6:30pm. The Joint Operation, dubbed Trade Winds 2016, will take place in the parishes of St. Ann, St. Catherine and Kingston and St. Andrew at six (6) locations. The locations are Sirgany Beach, Kingston; Gun Boat, Palisadoes Road and Port Royal; Half Moon Bay Beach and Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine; Old Jail Lane Beach and Roxborough, St. Ann.
Ministry of Health workers will assist the operation by identifying and destroying mosquito breeding sites as well as treating mosquito breeding sites that cannot be destroyed. The Health Workers will also distribute educational material on Zika and general vector control methods in the targeted communities.
The initiative is in line with Phase two of the Ministry of Health’s Zika virus response programme which aims to strengthen community interventions. Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton recently outlined the community interventions which includes community meetings and HEART/Trust NTA certified community workers being deployed to assist with public education and vector control.
Minister Tufton has reiterated that the fight against the spread of Zika is a “national response which will require everyone playing their part to mitigate this threat.”
Other partners that will be involved in the National Coastal Cleanup are the U.S Marines, NSWMA, NEPA, JCF and JIS.
For more information persons can also contact the Ministry of Health or the nearest health center. Also Visit our website at moh.gov.jm. Like and follow us on www.facebook.com/themohgovjm; https://twitter.com/themohgovjm; https://instagram.com/themohgovjm