The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) is encouraging the increased use of subsidies provided by the National Health Fund (NHF) for cancer screening, as the organisation intensify efforts to promote early detection and improved outcomes, particularly across western Jamaica.

Regional Priority Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and Family Health Coordinator at the WRHA, Dr Marcia Johnson-Campbell, told JIS News that screening remains one of the most effective tools in reducing cancer-related deaths, especially when paired with timely follow-up and treatment.

“Throughout the month, [in] the different parishes, the WRHA is organising activities that include screening for cancers and also promoting the subsidy being provided by the National Health Fund for screening,” Dr Johnson-Campbell said.

She explained that the NHF continues to play a key role in reducing financial barriers that often prevent individuals from accessing recommended screening services.

“Once you have an NHF card, and if you are not on medication or you never had a card before, but you are in the age group for screening, you can fill out a form…and get an NHF card that will provide subsidy,” she explained.

Dr Johnson-Campbell informed that several common screening tests are covered under the subsidy arrangement.

“Mammograms…provide a $3,000 subsidy at participating providers, and pap smears and prostate cancer screening tests also provide a subsidy,” she noted.

She emphasised that screening must be matched with systems that ensure persons can move efficiently through diagnosis and care once abnormalities are detected.

“We want to be able to improve our systems to make it easier for patients to get screened, get the diagnosis, and once they get the diagnosis, start treatment early,” Dr Johnson-Campbell said.

She added that screening should not be limited to a single disease but should reflect the range of cancers affecting Jamaicans.

Dr Johnson-Campbell also stressed that public education remains essential to increasing screening uptake. “People need to know about the diseases and people need to go and get screened, and we need to have the things to allow them to be screened,” she said.