St Catherine Health Dept offers free prostate cancer screening

Caribbean Wellness Day, which will be celebrated under the theme ‘Power through Collective Action’ with a sub-theme ‘Good Health is Our Right’, is an annual event geared towards increasing awareness among CARICOM member states to fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The day is observed on the second Saturday of September each year.

The event, which commences at 9:00 a.m., will also offer other free health services, including blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, body mass index (BMI) assessments, HIV and syphilis testing, health education, nutrition counseling, and Tetanus-Diphtheria (DT) and hepatitis B vaccines.

"Caribbean Wellness Day is an opportunity for men over 40 to take a critical step in managing their health. We urge everyone in this age group to take advantage of these free screenings and health services," says Dr. Francia Prosper-Chen, senior medical officer of health at the St. Catherine Health Department.

She explained that prostate cancer and other health conditions can be managed effectively when detected early.

September is recognised as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and this event aligns with the health department’s commitment to raise awareness and encourage early detection of prostate cancer.