Routine heart scans, comprehensive kidney testing, and expanded access to specialised diagnostic investigations could significantly improve outcomes for Jamaican children living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to paediatric specialist, Dr. Sanjae-Ann Dean. Drawing on findings from one of the first documented studies of paediatric lupus in Jamaica, and the English-speaking Caribbean, Dr. Dean is urging healthcare providers to recognise...

The life and legacy of late former Minister of Labour and National Insurance, Lynden Gladstone Newland, are permanently etched into Jamaica’s national consciousness with the naming of the Labour and Social Security Ministry’s National Heroes Circle building in his honour. The ceremony held at the end of Workers’ Week and amid celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the National Insurance...

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was established to safeguard contributors and their dependents through the provision of social insurance benefits to those who meet the required eligibility criteria. Today, this mandate is being actively fulfilled, with approximately 140,000 pensions and other benefits disbursed. These include retirement, invalidity, widows’ and widowers’ pensions, survivor pensions for children, health insurance, maternity allowance, a...

For many residents of Black River and surrounding communities in St. Elizabeth, the passage of Hurricane Melissa last year left behind more than damaged homes and flooded properties. Important documents that serve as gateways to essential services, including birth certificates, Tax Registration Numbers (TRNs), passports and voter identification cards, were washed away, destroyed or lost amid the devastation. Months later,...

The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) has been steadily reshaping the parenting landscape across Jamaica, with between 12,000 and 14,000 parents participating in training each month – a testament to the entity’s extensive reach and transformative influence within the local education system. At the heart of this initiative is the Parental Involvement in Education Framework, now being implemented in 245...

Organisers of the Portland Primary Maths Quiz Competition are hailing the spirit of community, which was displayed in the fifth staging of the parish’s Primary Maths Quiz Competition on February 6 to May 7. The contest, which began with seven schools in 2017, received the most entries this year with 30 institutions facing off in intense battles for the top...

Grades four to six students across the island will have the opportunity to win a cash prize of up to $200,000 when the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) rolls out its new online game, BOJ Money Quest, later this year. The students’ schools will also have the chance to win up to $500,000 if they are selected as the top institution...

In a thrilling finale of the recent St. Ann South Western Quiz Competition, Bethany Primary School successfully defended their championship title, emerging victorious in the second staging of the event. Students faced off in three challenging rounds at Bethany Baptist Church, testing their skills in General Knowledge, Mathematics, and Science. In the end, Bethany Primary School outscored Aboukir Primary 50–41...