Dear Readers,
The Gleaner's multi-award winning feature, Your Health, your favourite weekly health feature, copped yet another award, this time the prestigious Pan American Health Organisation's (PAHO) award for Best Health Feature by a newspaper.
Kudos to my hardworking team of health writers - Drs. Wendel Abel, Sidney McGill, Clive Anderson, Carmen Bowen-Wright, Rosalee Brown, Ellen Campbell-Grizzle and Kenneth Gardner.
The Gleaner has been publishing Your Health (previously Profiles in Medicine) every Wednesday for 12 continuous years. I still remember the absolute anxiety when the first
edition was packaged and published back in July 1993. But "the ink got into my blood" and I became hooked on bringing to you, our readers and advertisers, the most up-to-date, cutting-edge health information comparable to any health
section in any newspaper in the world. In support of this mandate, we rebranded the product in 2003 when we celebrated our 10th anniversary and made a paradigm
shift from disease to the health and wellness model.
GLEANER'S YEAR-LONG HEALTH PROJECT
The Gleaner's year-long health project, 'It's Your Health, Take Control' has also copped the well-sought after PAHO award - Best Health Coverage by a Media House. Congratulations to the Health Project team - Trudy Simpson, our resourceful special assignment reporter, and Dr. Wendel Abel, our health consultant and my right hand and mentor.
The Health Project 2005, the brainchild of Editor-in-Chief, Garfield Grandison, is an intensified focus on health issues to increase public awareness, promote healthy lifestyles and foster partnerships with critical players in the health sectors. As part of the project, we have been hosting well-attended public editors' fora around topical health issues.
Kudos also to Damion Mitchell, our colleague on the Gleaner/Power 106 news team, for copping the PAHO Award for Best Radio Documentary (Feature) for his piece, 'Murderous Rage', the story of Janet Moore and her three children who were attacked by Wilfred Rhoden, the man who should have been their protector.
TEAMWORK
Journalism is teamwork, pulling on a variety of talents and skills using state-of-the-art computer technology, modern graphic designs and colourful photographs to enhance the visual appeal of the product. So, we also send kudos to our team players in graphic design, headed by Heather Kong, associate editor - design, sub-editors, photo editors, photographers, proofreaders, news desk, administrative support and other behind-the-scene players. We couldn't have done it without you.
Thanks also to you, our readers, stakeholders in health and colleagues, for your unwavering support.
The PAHO awards will be presented today. Today is our day to shine. It's your health, take control!
Cheers,
Eulalee Thompson, Health Project 2005 Coordinator eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com
