Residents of St Thomas are being encouraged to take advantage of a health fair scheduled for Thursday, March 19, at the St Thomas Teen Hub in Morant Bay.

The initiative, being organised by the St Thomas Health Department, forms part of ongoing efforts to sensitise the public about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and reduce the risk of cervical cancer, with services to be offered including pap smears and general health screenings.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr D’Oyen Smith, made the disclosure while presenting his report during the St Thomas Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting on March 12.

“For the growing population…the children, particularly nine to 14 [and] nine to 19, there is a risk of the Human Papillomavirus,” he said, noting that there is now “the opportunity” to implement preventative measures.

Dr Smith pointed out that the HPV vaccine, which was introduced in Jamaica in 2016, remains a key tool in preventing the virus and the cancers associated with it.

“So we have a Human Papillomavirus immunisation that is relatively new,” he explained, noting that the Health Department is seeking to increase sensitisation around its benefits.

“[So] we’re having a health fair…where we’re looking to bring in persons for screenings, pap smears, [and] everything else. But also, mostly focusing on the HPV vaccine, trying to re-chart [its use] again, because [in] utilising the HPV vaccine, we can prevent 70 per cent of cancers of [the cervix],” Dr Smith said.

He emphasised that many serious health conditions can be avoided through early intervention and preventive care.

“Many people go through all of [their] hard-working life, and when it is now time to retire, [they] die because of something that could have been prevented by a simple vaccine. So this is us…giving the best opportunity to our next generation,” he added.

The primary target groups for the HPV vaccination are males, aged nine to 14, and females, aged nine to 19.