Earlier today, The Premier, the Hon. Michael H. Dunkley, JP, MP,  officially launched the Premier's Youth Fitness Programme under the auspices of the Premier’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Supporting the launch were the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Wayne Scott, JP, MP; Acting Minister of Health and Seniors, R. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, JP, MP; and Junior Minister of Social Development and Sports, Nandi Outerbridge, JP, MP, as well as Premier’s Council members, Department of Health officials, sponsors and educators.  Please see the Premier’s remarks below:

The Ministry of Health awards the Dr. Barbara Ball Public Health Scholarship annually to Bermudian students with proven financial need seeking careers or professional development in public health. 

The Department of Health confirms that a person who recently travelled to a Zika-affected country has been diagnosed with Zika. This represents the second confirmed imported (travel-related) case of Zika virus in Bermuda. 

Although widespread, ongoing local transmission remains unlikely, the public is asked to guard against mosquito bites and sexual transmission both away and at home in order to keep Bermuda’s risk as low as possible.

The Ministry of Health and Seniors does not discuss the specifics of individual cases, but can confirm that there are several people who recently returned from overseas who are suspected of having Zika virus. Given that we have a population that travels frequently, this will occur from time to time.  

Vector Control’s team is always checking properties to control mosquitoes in order to reduce the risk of onward transmission through mosquito bites. To protect oneself against any mosquito-borne illness, the public is reminded to:

Ministerial statement by: The Honourable Jeanne J. Atherden, CA, PCA, JP, MP

Mr Speaker and Honourable Members,

It brings me great pleasure and pride to advise this Honourable House of my Ministry’s latest wellness initiative. This one is particularly dear to me because its purpose is to help anyone on a tight budget to be able to have a healthy, nutritious diet.

Eliminating mosquito breeding sites, avoiding mosquito bites, and protecting pregnant women from Zika virus are the key messages of the inaugural Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week, launched yesterday by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the CARICOM Secretariat.

The Department of Health recently supported their retired Nurses by hosting their annual Nurses Tea at the Pavilion at the National Sports Center, which the Minister of Health, Seniors and Environment, Jeanne Atherden attended.

The Department has a total of 35 nurses  on their list of invitees who have retired from the government Community Health Nursing services, Lefroy House or Sylvia Richardson.

The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) of the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment wishes to offer an update on the island’s influenza patterns, and dispel inaccurate rumors regarding ‘bird flu’. 

The ESU reminds the public that there are many types of influenza, including influenza types found in various animals, including birds and swine.