Health insurer Anthem says database of customer, employee info hacked

This undated photo shows Anthem headquarters in Indianapolis. (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)

Anthem, the second-largest health insurance company in America, said late Wednesday that a database containing personal information of approximately 80 million of its customers and employees had been hacked. 

The cyber breach, which occurred last week, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The paper reported that investigators were still investigating the extent of the incursion, though Anthem said it was likely that “tens of millions” of records were stolen. Anthem also said the breach exposed names, addresses, birthdates, Social Security numbers, email addresses and employment details — including income.

However, the insurer did say that credit card information was not compromised and added that it has found no evidence that that medical information such as insurance claims and test results was targeted or obtained.

The attack is the latest in series of hacks targeting high-profile corporations. Previous victims have included retailers like Target and Home Depot, banks like J.P. Morgan & Chase and entertainment conglomerate Sony Pictures. 

Anthem said it had detected the breach itself and would notify affected customers via letter and e-mail. The insurer said it would also set up a information website and offer a credit-monitoring service. 

The early public disclosure is a departure from the tactics of previous victims like Target, which was heavily criticized for not reporting breaches soon enough.

“This attack is another reminder of the persistent threats we face, and the need for Congress to take aggressive action to remove legal barriers for sharing cyber threat information,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement late Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.

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Health insurer Anthem says database of customer, employee info hacked

California declares electronic cigarettes a health threat

California health officials on Wednesday declared electronic cigarettes a health threat that should be strictly regulated like tobacco products, joining other states and health advocates across the U.S. in pushing back against the fast-growing device.

The California Department of Public Health report says e-cigarettes emit cancer-causing chemicals and get users hooked on nicotine, although there is still more research to be done on the immediate and long-term health effects.

New generations of young people will become nicotine addicts if the products remain largely unregulated, California Health Officer Ron Chapman said.

“Without action, it is likely that California’s more than two decades of progress to prevent and reduce traditional tobacco use will erode as e-cigarettes re-normalize smoking behavior,” the report says.

E-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine from cartridges into inhalable vapor without tar and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. E-cigarette makers say using their products, known as “vaping,” is far safer than tobacco.

“Despite the health officer’s false claims, there is ample evidence that vaping helps smokers quit and is far less hazardous than smoking,” Gregory Conley, president of the e-cigarette advocacy group American Vaping Association, said in an email. “Smokers deserve truthful and accurate information about the relative risks of different nicotine products, not hype and conjecture based on cherry-picked reports.”

The California report called for restrictions on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes, protections against accidental ingestion of liquid nitrogen and an education campaign on the dangers of using e-cigarettes. California has already banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors in 2010.

A state senator introduced legislation this week that would regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products and ban their use in public places such as hospitals, bars and schools. A similar bill was defeated last year over opposition from tobacco companies.

Other states, including Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, already have issued advisories cautioning the use of e-cigarettes.

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California declares electronic cigarettes a health threat

Jamaica"s health sector a national emergency, doctors say

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 | 10:29 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) says it is urging the ministries of Health and Finance to jointly consult with public and private stakeholders on how to effectively and sustainably address issues affecting the nation’s health sector.

“The provision of good health care should be viewed by the Government as an investment in our citizens towards increased productivity and not simply a cost to the country,” the MAJ said in a statement in reference to two articles published by the Jamaica Observer on the 4th and 5th of January 2015 regarding the continued depressed state of public hospitals in Jamaica.

“The Medical Association of Jamaica has again noted and remains extremely concerned with these reports on the state of the country’s public hospitals.

“These stories have once again highlighted the sad and unacceptable circumstances under which patients and their relatives must access their care. This is compounded by the frustrating and demoralising conditions in which Health Professionals often provide this essential service,” the statement read.

The MAJ described the state of the health sector as a “national emergency” and said that the chronic underfunding and delayed reform of the public health sector in Jamaica is negatively affecting the outcomes of patients.

The doctors added that the personal and financial costs to patients and their families for delays, complications, pain and suffering will soon be incalculable.

“We hope that some significant improvements in the budgetary allocation to the sector will be made for the upcoming financial year (2015/16). Jamaica’s budget for public health service must be based on the health realities facing the country at this time.”

The association said that hospitals and health centres cannot function effectively or efficiently without the concomitant investment in the sector.

“We believe that the country’s stakeholders must act together and quickly to safeguard the health of our citizens. A collective and collaborative approach in addressing this challenge is the first step of many in achieving health sector reform and the sustainable financing of public health services in Jamaica.”

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Jamaica"s health sector a national emergency, doctors say

The risk of inadequate health management

Dennis Chung

Sunday, October 12, 2014    

THE world has, in recent weeks, been very concerned with the Ebola virus and more importantly, containing it. Here in Jamaica, we have been dealing with the effects of the chikungunya virus, more commonly referred to as ChikV, while also keeping our eye on what is happening with Ebola, as this can be very devastating for Jamaica and the global economy.

I have seen many comments on social media, and I have posted a few as well, debating what measures should be put in place, and where responsibility lies. Some of these discussions have been constructive, some have been irrational, and some have been political. Many can only qualify as the rantings of ignorant people who don’t have the ability to understand what the temperature is beyond the tip of their noses.

What is very clear to me is that proper health management in these circumstances is not something that we should seek opinions and consensus on, as the consequence of failure and delay is too horrendous. Sure, we want to consult with various stakeholders, but that consultation must take place with stakeholders who can make a difference to the fight, and not just consult for consulting’s sake.

You also want to constantly review all processes, and be critical of what is not going right, but that should be constructively done in order to improve the situation, not seek one-upmanship.

This means that the management of the health care system generally requires astute and objective leadership which must be free of both ego and sensitivity, and must be able to communicate.

We must also understand that leadership is not just government and other officials, but must be leadership within our businesses, households, and wider communities. In other words, as the prime minister said, health management is more about personal responsibility than anything that can be done at a policy level, as health is really a personal issue. Whether it be ChikV, Ebola, or lifestyle diseases, it is all about how we manage our surroundings that affects us and those around us.

With that said though, leadership is responsible for communication and education, and we can all agree that this CHIKV outbreak was not managed properly. This should be accepted as such by the authorities. But once that is done, then let’s put it down to a practice run for the real threat of Ebola, and other infectious diseases that are not here as yet.

So the press conference on Thursday with the prime minister and Sandrea Falconer is a good start to a much better approach after ChikV.

The Medical Association of Jamaica, as reported, also seems more confident in the current approach to the preparation for Ebola, and all of us need to be involved in the fight to keep it away. Which, by the way, means ensuring that we observe safety procedures when we travel, and when we return to Jamaica we are honest about where we went and any possible exposure. Again, the role of personal responsibility.

I say all of this because there is a huge risk

to improper health management, which includes inadequate communication and education. A recent report says that (i) approximately US$32.7 billion will be needed to fight Ebola in West Africa; (ii) failure to contain the epidemic could compromise the future of not only West Africa, but the entire continent.

In other words, this could be much worse than the 2008 financial crisis if it is not dealt with quickly. Any hint of an outbreak in Europe, Asia, North, or South America (largest global markets) could plummet financial markets and cause significant reduction in earning power and consumption. Also, unlike the slowdown in global markets caused by bad mortgages in 2008, this could lead to much more devastating and long-term consequences, as we would see global brands and physical markets disappearing.

This is why all the major developed countries are treating this as a major potential crisis and are pledging billions of US dollars in the fight, because if this is not controlled it could be the end of the world as we know it. In other words, a health crisis resulting from a disease like this is worse than any financial market crash or world war. In fact, it could lead to a global financial meltdown and war.

This is why personal responsibility is very critical, and why Jamaica needs to do everything to protect its borders and residents. This is not about giving some people a “bly”, as we are used to doing.

The reality is that we are a tourist destination and we are just trying to cope with an IMF agreement which seems to be bearing some fruit, but we still remain very fragile. We also have a poor health infrastructure, a significant percentage of unemployment and people living below the poverty line, relative to other parts of the region and the world.

Therefore, the best line of defence for us is to ensure that our borders are well protected, and that proper and effective monitoring of anyone suspected is in place. Anyone who believes they have symptoms or have been exposed and do not report it to the authorities should face criminal penalties.

And anyone in authority who is negligent in their duties to act or report should also face penalties. This is how seriously we should approach this situation, as the possible economic and social fallout from this is like a final event.

It is going to require all of us in Government, Opposition, private sector, public sector, and civil society to work together. We need to support each other with action and criticisms. Anyone who is going to take a leadership role has to be big enough to rise above criticism, accept it where relevant and just get the job done.

I say all this, fully aware that there are no cases here, but also understanding that the time to act is not when something happens, but before. As they say, ‘prevention is better than cure’, and that is definitely so in this case.

I am heartened by last Thursday’s press conference by the prime minister, and the comments by the MAJ. The education and communication must be very consistent and transparent as we move forward. Too much information is better than too little.

Dennis Chung is a chartered accountant and the author of the books Charting Jamaica‘s Economic and Social Development, and Achieving Life’s Equilibrium. His blog is dcjottings.blogspot.com

Email: drachung@gmail.com

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The risk of inadequate health management

Health minister to lead Ebola delegation to Cuba

Saturday, October 18, 2014 | 10:53 AM    

Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson will be leading a delegation to Cuba to seek support in light of the threat of Ebola.

Ferguson made the announcement Friday at the official reopening of the Llandewey Health Centre in St Thomas.

“I have met with the Cuban ambassador and a broad delegation including the private sector will be visiting Cuba to seek support from the Government. As we are aware, Cuba sent a mission to West Africa in the response to the Ebola outbreak in that region and we would like some support from their medical doctors to help with our national response” Ferguson said.

Meanwhile, the minister also called for unity in the coordinated response to Eloba.

“While we are going through the chikungunya outbreak, we know that the mortality rate for this disease is less than 1 per cent but Ebola is no joke. The Ebola virus is a severe, often fatal illness with a death rate of up to 90 per cent. The prime minister has elevated the country’s response to a national health Response. We are calling on every citizens of this country to unite around this response,” he stated.

The reopening of the Llandewey Health Centre forms part of the ministry’s strategy to build and restore more health facilities to allow citizens to access care easily. Over one hundred health centres have been repaired as a demonstration of the ministry’s commitment to develop the primary healthcare infrastructure across the island.

Renovation of the Llandewey Health Centre was at a cost of approximately $11 million.

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Health minister to lead Ebola delegation to Cuba

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s absence fuels speculation about health, coup - VIDEO: Where is Kim Jong-un?

FILE 2013: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a Mushroom Farm in Pyongyang. There is speculation about the young leader’s health because he has not made a public appearance in over a month. (REUTERS/KCNA)

North Korea’s mysterious leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for 34 days and wasn’t on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party on Friday, sparking speculation that the head of one of the world’s most secretive countries is ailing or has been removed in a secret coup.

An official state media dispatch listed senior government, military and party officials who paid their respects at an event marking the party’s 69th anniversary, but not Kim. It said a flower basket with Kim’s name on it was placed before statues of his father and grandfather, both of whom also ruled North Korea.

State media earlier said that the might of the party “is growing stronger under the seasoned guidance of Marshal Kim Jong Un.”

While his absence is not in itself all that important or unusual — such anniversaries are generally given more weight when they are landmark years, though he attended the celebrations in the last two years.

Even so, because the young leader has not been shown in the North Korean media for the past month, his attendance at the event has taken on more meaning.

Kim, who was last seen in public attending a concert on Sept. 3., had been seen earlier walking with a limp.

Maybe it’s gout, unidentified sources tell South Korean reporters, or diabetes, or high blood pressure. A thinly sourced British report says the Swiss-educated dictator has been laid low by a massive cheese addiction. A headline in Seoul offers up the possibility of a common South Korean obsession: fried chicken and beer.

During a surprise visit to South Korea last week to attend the closing ceremonies of the Asian Games in Incheon, three senior North Korean leaders assured their South Korean counterparts that Kim was healthy, but that has done little to calm the rumors abroad that he was unwell.

Paul French wrote in a Reuters’ opinion, “to add to the current coup rumors, Hwang Pyong So, recently appointed director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army (the top political position in the powerful DPRK military), appeared in Incheon in South Korea sparking more speculation that Kim was gone and a coup had occurred.”

U.S. and South Korean officials told The New York Times that there is no immediate evidence that there has been a coup.

“The last time was when everyone was predicting that Kim Jong-un would be pushed aside by his more experienced uncle, and look what happened to him,” a senior official told the paper.

After surviving several earlier purges, Kim’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was publicly shamed and then executed on treason charges in December 2013.

Geoffery Cain wrote in The Global Post that some analysts believe the 31-year-old leader’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong has been running the country in his absence.

“She is one of the only people in that we know has unfettered direct access to KJU. At the present time I would not be surprised if she is sole gatekeeper,” Michael Madden, who runs the North Korea Leadership Watch blog, told Cain.  

The article points out that little is known about the sister, believed to be born in the late 80s, but in March she appeared on state television as a senior official.

Kim, for his part, missed a meeting of the country’s parliament late last month, and was absent again from a gathering this week to mark his late father’s election as ruling party head.

Adding to the uncertainty, Kim has not been seen in North Korean media reports greeting the athletes who returned from the Asian Games — though they were given a lavish reception and heavy media coverage when they returned to the capital.

Kim is usually a near-constant one-man show in state media, but he has kept a low profile before. In 2012, he wasn’t seen publicly for about three weeks, South Korean officials say.

“Such vanishing acts would be most unusual in democracies, but in totalitarian North Korea, Kim is the state. He is free to come and go as he pleases,” Lee Sung-yoon, a North Korea expert at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, told The Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’s absence fuels speculation about health, coup - VIDEO: Where is Kim Jong-un?

More than a dozen states plan to cancel health care policies not in compliance with ObamaCare - OPINION: ObamaCare is gift that keeps on giving - VIDEO: Many ObamaCare cancellations expected

More than a dozen states plan to cancel health care policies not in compliance with ObamaCare in the coming weeks, affecting thousands of people just before the midterm elections.

“It looks like several hundred thousand people across the country will receive notices in the coming days and weeks,” said Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

The policies are being canceled because states that initially granted a reprieve at the request of President Obama are no longer willing to do so.

In coming weeks, 13 states and the District of Columbia plan to cancel such policies, which generally fall out of compliance with the Affordable Care Act because they don’t offer the level of coverage the law requires.

Virginia will be hardest hit, with 250,000 policies expected to be canceled.

And because federal law requires a 60-day notice of any plan changes, voters will be notified no later than November 1, right before the Nov. 4 midterms.

Many of those forced out of their current plans and into ObamaCare may not be able to keep their doctors. They also could face higher deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses, making ObamaCare an election issue on the eve of voting.

Obama had originally unequivocally promised that underhis health care plan, everyone could keep their doctors and plans.

In 2009, he told the American Medical Association, “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.No one will take it away. No matter what.”

The president later was forced to admit that any plan without the additional benefits required under ObamaCare faced cancellation.

But that unleashed a nasty political backlash, forcing him to back down and call for states and insurers to extend those policies forthree more years.

Some said he didn’t have much choice. “There were some five or six million people who were at stake here and the federal exchange was in no condition to even process a few hundred thousand people much less millions,” said Joe Antos of the American Enterprise Institute.

Many states flatly refused to extend and now comes the new round of states that plan to cancel policies.

Jim Angle currently serves as chief national correspondent for Fox News Channel (FNC). He joined FNC in 1996 as a senior White House correspondent.

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More than a dozen states plan to cancel health care policies not in compliance with ObamaCare - OPINION: ObamaCare is gift that keeps on giving - VIDEO: Many ObamaCare cancellations expected

Health minister"s admission on Chikungunya epidemic is only a first step, says Opposition

Monday, September 29, 2014 | 6:07 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica Labour Party spokesman on Health Dr Kenneth Baugh says he welcomes the admission by Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson that there is a Chikungunya epidemic. The comment by Dr Baugh comes after the national address last night by the Health Minister.

Dr Baugh stated that this presents an opportunity for a long overdue cohesive national approach, and noted that Dr Kevin Harvey, Acting Chief Medical Officer, had already publicly stated that the virus could affect up to 60% of the entire Jamaican population.

The Opposition spokesman on Health again made clear that the virus is serious not only in its impact on persons and the economy, but in respect of the speed with which it spreads.  He said he was therefore also pleased that the labels of “alarmist” and “scare mongering” have been removed as they had detracted from persons treating the illness as serious, and distracted the Ministry and its agencies from mobilizing and energizing people to constrain the illness.

Dr Baugh noted that while the Minister has finally confronted the seriousness of the issue, he did not address several things. 

He said: “It was unfortunate that his presentation ignored the fact that a lot of pharmacies are out of stock of the basic medications needed to address symptoms.  He needs to make urgent provisions for this.  Related to this point is the fact that the Minister also did not address the matter of budgetary provisions.  The JLP spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, has already called for emergency funds to be allocated whether from ODPEM or TEF or otherwise, but the Minister did not address these important points. The Minister also did not bring forward any plan to deal with the garbage pileup across the island that is providing a habitat for mosquitoes.

Dr Baugh also called on the Minister to promptly announce details regarding the emergency command centre, including the location, telephone number and the skill sets that will be mobilized there.  He also said the Minister must ensure that regular information bulletins are issued by text messages and traditional media – providing public health tips, information as to numbers of persons affected in particular areas and steps being taken to manage the situation.

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Health minister"s admission on Chikungunya epidemic is only a first step, says Opposition

Health minister warns against deadly dengue in Chik-V address

Sunday, September 28, 2014 | 7:36 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The health minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, has warned the public to safeguard against dengue virus, which is also spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

Ferguson issued the warning during a national address Sunday night on the spread of chikungunya virus.

“Be reminded that dengue is also spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito and is more serious than chikungunya, as the death rate is much higher,” said Ferguson.

He added: “Deaths from chikungunya are very rare and usually occur in persons with other illnesses, especially chronic illnesses. The death rate from chikungunya is less than one per cent compared to dengue which is 1-5 per cent and influenza which kills millions each year. In 2012, we had a total of 5,929 suspected dengue cases and in 2013, we had 925 cases.”

At the same time, the minister appealed to persons in high-risk groups, including pregnant women, infants, children under five years old and persons with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, to seek medical care “immediately if they experience symptoms that could be chikungunya”.

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Health minister warns against deadly dengue in Chik-V address

Health minister moves to rally citizenry in Chik-V fight

Sunday, September 28, 2014 | 9:19 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson on Sunday night attempted to rally the citizenry in an all-out effort to check the rapidly spreading chikungunya disease.

“While the government must lead the process, citizens have a major role to play in the reduction of the spread of this disease,” Ferguson said in an address to the nation.

“It is therefore important for all of us to ensure that we are not harbouring this mosquito in our homes. Personal responsibility is going to be of utmost importance in the reduction of the spread of this disease,” Ferguson added.

“I implore every citizen to join us when we declare a national cleanup day,” he said. “Let us take charge of our health and restore national pride.”

The minister has come under fire in recent months over the handling of the outbreak, which he said Sunday night is expected to spike before it peters out. Members of the public have made repeated calls for him to relinquish his ministerial post over the issue. The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party was no less vocal in expressing dissatisfaction with the health ministry’s tackling of the disease.

But during his address Sunday night, Ferguson said authorities have been working assiduously to check the chikungunya outbreak for which preparation had been made for some two years.

He said that since June, “we have initiated a number of response measures”.

The minister said that those measures include: activities to identify and destroy breeding sites in over 484 communities, with some 50,887 premises inspected; 84,015 containers inspected for mosquito breeding of which 24,206 containers were treated; fogging carried out in 977 communities; active search for cases in communities which involved over 15,532 persons; and direct face-to-face public and community education conducted with some 60,000 people.

These activities, he said, continue daily.

He added also that there have been, and will continue to be, meetings with stakeholders on the way forward.

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Health minister moves to rally citizenry in Chik-V fight

Health minister says Chik-V cases will spike

Sunday, September 28, 2014 | 7:01 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – It will get worse.

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has said in a national address tonight that Chikungunya cases are expected to spike before the spread of the virus eventually peters out.

“It is important to note that the expectation is for Chikungunya cases to spike and then trend down as persons begin to build immunity to this new disease,” Ferguson said.

He said the spread of the virus was expected and that it was “normal” for new diseases.

This is Ferguson’s first address to the nation since the virus hit Jamaican shores earlier this year. The address comes amid criticism of the Government’s handling of the outbreak.

Chik-V was first reported in the Caribbean last year December.

Last week, Dr Kevin Harvey, the acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, told OBSERVER ONLINE that between 38 per cent and 68 per cent of the population will be infected with the virus.

In his address, Ferguson called on employers to be “compassionate” toward affected employees.

“We are aware of the impact this is having on productivity and attendance at school and work and ask employers to be compassionate and assist their staff through this difficult period,” said the minister, who noted that Jamaica had been preparing for the introduction of Chik-V for “over two years”.

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Health minister says Chik-V cases will spike

Health ministry prepares for possible ebloa outbrreak

As part of ongoing preparations for a possible introduction of the ebola virus into Jamaica, the Ministry of Health is undertaking ongoing activities to ensure that the requisite systems and resources are in place to enable a comprehensive response.

Acting Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr Sonia Copeland, points out that although Jamaica has no case of ebola at this time, it continues its preparation against the background of the current outbreak in west Africa.

“Our preparation activities have been heightened in line with World Health Organisation recommendations. We urge members of the public to pay close attention to information about ebola especially if they have to travel to any of the affected countries,” she said.

The overall situation of the ebola outbreak in west and central Africa remains critical. The following countries are now affected: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal. As of September 25, 2014, the World Health Organisation reports a cumulative total of 6,263 cases including 2,917 deaths from the affected countries.

She said persons are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the affected areas. If persons have to travel to these areas they are advised not to handle dead animals and restrict close and intimate contact with persons who may be infected or could be a contact of an infected person.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids or secretions such as stool, saliva, urine and semen of infected persons. Infection can also occur if broken skin comes in contact with environments that have become contaminated with an ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen or used needles.

For more information persons may contact the Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Centre at 1888-663-5683 or 1888-ONE LOVE.

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Health ministry prepares for possible ebloa outbrreak

Health minister to address nation on Chikungunya tonight

Sunday, September 28, 2014 | 9:37 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson will address the nation tonight on the chikungunya outbreak in Jamaica.

In his address, the minister will speak to various issues including partnerships forged to combat the spread of the disease, according to a release from the ministry.

The broadcast will be aired on several radio and television stations. His address will be aired on PBCJ and Love TV at 7 o’clock. CVM-TV will broadcast the message at 9:30 and TVJ at 10:30.

Radio stations s Irie, RJR and Nationwide FM will carry the address at 7 o’clock.

The Government has come under harsh criticism for its handling of the outbreak.

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Health minister to address nation on Chikungunya tonight

Health ministry calls on community to help fight Chik-v

The Ministry of Health is calling on community members to organise clean-up activities in their areas as part of efforts to reduce the spread of chikungunya.

Acting chief medical officer, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, says community involvement and personal responsibility are important to reducing the breeding of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is the vector that spreads the Chikungunya virus.

“We want community members to band together and take a day to clean up their communities, including their home, schools and churches in the areas. We also want businesses to get on board and do the same for their workplaces.

Breeding sites

We have to continue our efforts to search for and destroy mosquito breeding sites as this is the primary way in which we will be able to reduce the spread of chikungunya and other vector borne diseases,” Dr DuCasse said.

As of September 12, 2014, 321 notifications were received and reviewed by the Ministry of which 183 met the case definition which means that they had the appropriate symptoms and have been deemed suspected cases of chikungunya.

Of the 183 suspected cases, 24 tested negative and were discarded and 25 were laboratory confirmed including an additional case confirmed by CARPHA on Friday.

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Health ministry calls on community to help fight Chik-v

Henry S. Fraser: Marriage, obesity, health and ageing

Henry S. Fraser

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Sunday September 14, 2014 - Last week’s column on healthy ageing evoked quite a lot of comment, appreciation and the pointing out of one important omission – the value of marriage! How could I omit that, after 44 years of marriage?

This was an unfortunate oversight, of course, because a great deal of data have consistently shown that marriage promotes longevity, but especially in men. Men, marry if you want to live long … but make sure you marry for the right reasons, and living long will be the great big bonus, or “added value” that comes with it, although not in the marriage contract! Of course bad marriages can shorten life dramatically, through suicide or homicide. As the feisty Lady Astor, British MP nearly a hundred years ago, said to Sir Winston Churchill: “Winston, if I was your wife, I’d put poison in your tea.” To which Winston replied, quick as a flash: “And if I was your husband, I’d drink it.”

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” (Proverbs, 31:10)

The fact is, people who never marry are far more likely to die prematurely than those who get hitched or even divorced, according to research reported on the BBC website last month, and therefore readily accessible to everyone. Actually, the report by Kaplan and Kronick was published in 2006, in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, but its implications are of huge importance in today’s dysfunctional society where marriage seems to be seen as old fashioned, and family values and responsibilities increasingly disparaged.

Kaplan and Kronick looked at the relationship between marital status and survival, using the US 1989 National Health Interview Survey and the 1997 National death index, providing follow up over eight years. Their results are summarised in simpler form as follows:

“Among the 1997 respondents, almost 6,000 (9 %) died before 1997 and 61,000 (91%) were known to be alive. Controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the death rate for people who were unmarried was significantly higher than it was for those who were married and living with their spouses. Although the effect was significant for all categories of unmarried, it was strongest for those who had never married. The effect was seen for both sexes, and was significantly stronger for men than for women. For the youngest age group (19–44), the chief causes of early death among adults who had never married were infectious disease (presumably HIV) and external causes. In the middle aged and older men and women, the predominant causes were cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

It has been postulated that loneliness, including lack of intimate social and family support is an important contributor to the phenomenon. And in our study of Centenarians in Barbados at the CDRC, led by Dr. Susan Archer, while religiosity and a physically active life were the key factors in their longevity, strong family and social support were almost as strong.

As the Bible says: “A virtuous woman is worth more than rubies” and today’s science lends strong support to that other famous biblical injunction: “If they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” (1 Corinthians, 7:9)

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But a good marriage is so much more than good sex: it is the union of like minds, generous spirits and souls of good conscience – leading to love that lasts, and like good wine improves with age. These aspects of human nature and behaviour are harder to study objectively, but not marrying is so much more frequently associated with superficial relationships and “greater isolation from children and other family.”

The other major factor affecting life expectancy is that of obesity and the related chronic diseases – high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood lipids (fats), otherwise known as the metabolic syndrome – that is so common in Barbados and in other populations of the African diaspora. Again the BBC has recently highlighted an important aspect of the obesity phenomenon – that of discrimination and the personal perception of discrimination. Overweight and obesity have now captured three quarters of many western adult populations, including the British, Barbadians and African Americans, with obesity (a body mass index of greater than 30, or what the lay person would simply describe as fat) accounting for one third of these populations. In the Caribbean the men are significantly leaner, as are the young British men, but by middle age they’ve almost caught up with their lady folk. What this means is that overweight and obesity are now the new norm, with all the dangerous health consequences, while leanness is seen only in the minority of adults. Yet discrimination and the perception of discrimination persists, and the world does not cater either on airplanes, trains or in many other places, for the obese.

The recent study reported by the BBC, in which 3,000 people in an ageing study were questioned about their perception of discrimination or harassment on the basis of their weight, found that 1 in 20 felt they had experienced such discrimination, but among the morbidly obese (very fat or BMI greater than 40 and associated with multiple problems) the figure was one in three. A valuable outcome of the study, one hopes, is the emphasis by Sarah Jackson, lead author of the study at University College London, that discrimination of any kind is counterproductive, causes stress and comfort eating. Physicians in particular must be strongly supportive, giving facts but working in very positive ways to address the problem and especially to encourage healthy life styles to prevent it in the first place. This is especially important with our children, most of whom are now obsessed with (and often over-indulged with) cell phones, game boys, ipads and all things computerised, substituting thumb exercise for healthy physical activity and are becoming obese teenagers, with increasing incidence of maturity type diabetes occurring in their teens!

Brickbat: To Alex Salmond and his emotional Scottish National Party for following the lead of so many other petty power-playing politicians in trying to break Scotland away from the United Kingdom, to the clear likely detriment of both.

Professor Fraser is past Dean of Medical Sciences, UWI and Professor Emeritus of Medicine. Website:  profhenryfraser.com

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Henry S. Fraser: Marriage, obesity, health and ageing

Lord Knight tops Purina All-Dogs Health Fair and Family Fun day

Anthony Minott photos Above: Georgia Balfour (right), product manager for Purina Pet Foods, presents Peter Hibbert, from Rockstone Kennel, with a prize after his pit bull won the Best Standard Bully award.

Popular dog trainer. Maggla, trains a dog in aggression.

Owner Michelle Damali, pets her dog, Daisy, a mixed-breedfour-year-old, which won Best Working Dog award.

A man walks his bull dog during the show.

A man attends to his dog after it entered a category during the show.

Lord Knight, an astute pit bull from Big Yard Kennells, walked away with the top prize, the ‘Best of Show’, during Purina sponsored All-Dogs Health Fair and Family Fun Day at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre last Sunday.

The canine also won two other awards,Best Original Pit bull and Best of Breed. Gregory, trainer and handler for Lord Knight, said the dog has won top awards in Jamaica and overseas.

Trainer Peter Hibbert from Rockstone Kennel took home three titles with histwo-year-old pit bull,Orbit, which won Best Standard Bully, and Best in Variety.

Other selected awardees included Racquel, Best Standard Female Bully and Daisy for Best Working Dog. Daisy is a mixed-breed four-year old. She was handled by owner Michelle Damali.

The audience was in stitches as Roxine Mitto, owner of Cash Money, winner of Best Jamaican Mongrel, walked the dressed-up mutt. To top things off, she did a cameo performance of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.

Georgia Balfour, product manager for Purina Pet Foods, main sponsor of the event, was pleased by the quality dogs on show.

The next two shows are Sunday, July 27, at Jarrett Park Sport Complex, Montego Bay, St James, and the eastern parish of St Thomas, Colonel Cove, on Sunday, August 17.

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Lord Knight tops Purina All-Dogs Health Fair and Family Fun day

All Dogs Health Fair and Expo for Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre tomorrow

The Purina-sponsored Goode Promotions/GPKennelsAll DogsHealth Fairand Expowill move to the Ranny WilliamsEntertainment Centre in St Andrew tomorrow.

The next two shows are onSunday, July 27, at the Jarrett Park Sport Complex in Montego Bay, St James, then the eastern parish of St Thomas at Colonel’s Cove on Sunday, August 17.

Coby, a three-year-old bulldog, walked away with two titles, Best of Show and Best Bulldog, during the first show at the Portmore Community College, Old Harbour Campus, St Catherine, on Sunday, June 29.

During the show, various breeds of dogs, including Pitbulls andRottweilers, were trained inaggressionbyprofessional trainers. The dogs were also trained to be obedient to their owners and taught a few nifty tricks.

CVM TV’s Rohan Daley, the host, advised the patrons not to “try this at home as these are trained professionals” who facilitated the demonstrations.

Morris Goode, CEO of Goode Promotions, promoter of the show, was pleased with the overall event and expects the show at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre to be “bigger and better”. Apart from the dogs being in the spotlight, children can play in the bounceabout and other attractions. Music will be by a popular disco.

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All Dogs Health Fair and Expo for Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre tomorrow

Health minister hosts JAHJAH

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 | 7:53 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson will on Wednesday host members of the group Jamaicans Abroad Helping Jamaicans At Home (JAHJAH) at a reception at the Mona Visitors Lodge on the University of the West Indies campus.

The group is staging its first Annual Paediatric Cancer Conference at the venue. 

This cocktail reception is in support of the collaboration between the Bustamante Hospital for Children and the New York Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. It is also in an effort to share ideas to improve the care and treatment of paediatric cancer.

JAHJAH Foundation is a nonpartisan organisation founded in March 2011 for “the advancement of Jamaicans living in Jamaica with the help of Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica throughout the globe”. 

Current JAHJAH director is Dr Trevor Dixon, who is also the founder.

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Health minister hosts JAHJAH

Talks advanced for acquisition of cancer treatment machines, says health minister

News

Monday, September 02, 2013

HEALTH Minister Fenton Ferguson says that discussions are advanced with a leading Canadian hospital for the acquisition of equipment to improve cancer treatment in the public health sector.He said that, during a recent visit to Canada, he was able to make “significant progress” with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for the supply of two Linear Accelerator machines, which are used for radiotherapy treatment.“We are closer to achieving our objective of getting two Linear Accelerator machines. As it is now, we only have one in the private sector, and we are moving to have two in the public sector,” the minister said, while addressing Friday’s ground-breaking ceremony for expansion of the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann.He stated that the acquisition of the machines “will take a tremendous burden off our cancer patients as the Government was committed to reducing the cost of cancer treatment and care.“Cancer care remains a burden for individuals and families, and part of my mandate is to work to get cancer care down to a certain manageable level. There is a particular drug that is going at over $200,000 per dose, and for persons with breast cancer, you need 18 doses. We must find a way to get those prices down,” he stated.The minister said that, even as he works on improving care, he also has to encourage Jamaicans to adopt healthier lifestyle choices to reduce cancers and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).“This is why I have been so steadfast in my arguments against smoking in specified public places. We are facing a debilitating problem where NCDs are concerned. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases; these NCDs are responsible for over 70 per cent of deaths in Jamaica,” he stated.“Tobacco exposure is the most serious factor for the NCDs. The ban on smoking in specified public places will essentially lead to improvement in the quality of air we breathe, and over time, reduce the prevalence of NCDs, including respiratory illnesses and heart disease,” he pointed out.The minister said that countries that have adopted anti-smoking legislation have started to see progress. He cited the case of Northern Ireland, which introduced legislation in 2004 and within two to three years, “they started to see less heart attacks, less strokes, and in general significant reduction in NCDs. So this is not just an anti-tobacco crusade; it is a pro-health crusade”.— JISHealth Minister Fenton Ferguson reports on developments in improving cancer treatment locally, during the ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of the St Ann Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann on Friday.

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Talks advanced for acquisition of cancer treatment machines, says health minister

68 Cuba-trained doctors join health sector tomorrow

A batch of 68 doctors, who finished training recently in Cuba, will be deployed into Jamaica’s health sector starting tomorow.

The doctors, all Jamaicans, represent the latest and largest batch of medical graduates to have been trained in the Socialist Republic since the Cuba/Jamaica Bilateral Programme began over 30 years ago.The doctors, who graduated from the University of Santiago de Cuba’s medical faculty in July, will be deployed to hospitals across the island, with the bulk of them assigned to the Kingston Public Hospital and the Cornwall Regional Hospital, as well as the Spanish Town Hospital, May Pen Hospital, Mandeville General Hospital, St Ann’s Bay Hospital, Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, and Annotto Bay Hospital.Graduate Heron Grant is anxiously awaiting the day when he will be able to give back to residents in his community in Byndloss, Linstead, St Catherine, by offering affordable and quality care to children.The 27-year-old doctor said he also plans to positively impact the locals there, so “as soon as I am able I would like to see how I can serve my community in paediatrics and make it as affordable as possible”.Grant and his collegues spent seven years at the university.The newly trained doctors were officially welcomed and congratulated by Health Minister Fenton Ferguson and outgoing Cuban Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez during a reception hosted by the ministry of health at its office in downtown Kingston on Thursday.Minister Ferguson, who abandoned his speech and instead opted to have a conversation with the doctors, urged them to display the skills that they had learned and to add value to the current work of the local doctors.The minister also implored the doctors to recognise that their position comes with tremendous responsibility and urged them to serve with humility.“I know that many of you want to wear that doctor (title) on your forehead but that’s not it, that is just like a person who walks around and boasts that he is a Christian and Christianity must be manifested,” he said.“Being a good doctor should be manifested by your compassion, how you see your patients, how serious you take your oath. It’s not about how quickly you’re going to drive the Mercedes Benz or live in Cherry Gardens or Beverly Hills,” Ferguson stated.He advised the doctors that once they are steadfast and have a sense of mission and fixity of purpose, all the material things that they desire will be achieved.“Becoming a doctor is a great achievement, but becoming a servant of the people is a greater achievement,” said the minister, who also expressed gratitude to the Cuban Government.Ambassador Gala Lopez for his part said that Cuba is committed to continue assisting Jamaica.Over 200 Jamaican students are currently studying in Cuban universities as a result of the programme, Gala Lopez said.The ambassador said that although the current economic condition had impacted the programme, it will not be discontinued, as four students left the island in July to study medicine.“For Cuba, it is not just giving others what we have to spare, but moderately sharing with them the little resources that we have,” he said.Chief medical officer in the health ministry, Dr Michael Coombs, told the doctors that they were joining the health system at a critical time, but urged them to call on God for guidance and strength when the job becomes too much for them to bear.Dr Matthew Lloyd O’Connor expressed gratitude to the Cuban and Jamaican government which made their studies possible.“The group is determined to revolutionise medicine in Jamaica and in the Caribbean. We have decided to turn our backs on the commonplace and the ordinary and drastically improve health care across the 14 parishes of the island,” Dr O’Connor said.Dr Jean Dixon, permanent secretary in the ministry of health, shares a light moment with Dr Shaneque Thompson and Dr John Neville Wright during a reception hosted for the doctors at the ministry of health in downtown Kingston.Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson welcomes doctors (from left) Tionette Allen, Kerri Young, Alicia Webster and Kristoffer Williams during a reception hosted for the doctors at the Ministry of Health in downtown Kingston on Thursday. Beside Dr Ferguson is outgoing Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica Yuri Gala Lopez. (PHOTOS: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

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68 Cuba-trained doctors join health sector tomorrow