A grant of $1.2 million from the National Health Fund (NHF) will provide all three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine to teaching and non-teaching staff in 28 schools across the island.

Historically, there are health risks associated with certain occupational groups, such as practitioners working with children with developmental disabilities.

Grace Duncan, executive director of the Jamaican Association on Mental Retardation (JAMR), says a lack of resources prevented the JAMR from providing protection against the hepatitis B virus for its staff. Several attempts were made to seek support for this programme, she said.

Benefits of the partnership

"It is with a great sense of satisfaction that the JAMR wishes to recognise the collaboration with the NHF in the provision of this needed coverage for the 350 members of staff in the Network of Schools of Special Education islandwide," said Duncan. "This collaboration high-lights the benefits of the partnership that can be forged between non-governmental organisations and other agencies in the delivery of services for vulnerable groups."

The vaccines are being adminis-tered by the public health nurse at JAMR, with the assistance of two registered nurses who are members of the Network of Schools of Special Education. The project should be completed by November.

Acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide, causing severe illness or death. The virus can be found in the blood and bodily fluids of an infected person. Chronic hepatitis B infection often has no symptoms until the disease becomes evident after years of attack on the patient's immune system, causing scarring of the liver, which often results in its failure.