Published:Saturday | January 30, 2016
As Jamaica prepares for the Zika virus (ZIKV), Director of Health Promotion and Protection in the Ministry of Health Dr Sonia Copeland is urging people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to be particularly vigilant.
Copeland pointed out that persons with NCDs such as hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer are at higher risk of complications and severe symptoms from ZIKV.
Copeland was speaking on behalf of portfolio minister Horace Dalley at the launch of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica’s (HFJ) Heart Month on Tuesday at the Spanish Court Hotel, New Kingston.
Heart Month is being observed in February under the theme ‘Obesity, A Weighty Matter’.
Copeland noted that this year’s observance is timely as it “comes at a time when particular focus needs to be placed on the importance of observing a healthy lifestyle as a result of the advancing threat of the Zika virus.”
She welcomed the focus on obesity and pointed to the need for increased emphasis on childhood obesity which, she said, was as urgent as adulthood obesity.
