TagHeart Foundation screens staff at Davis Primary

This time, the team visited Davis Primary and Infant School, providing free health screenings to over 35 staff members for common non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 

Since its first mission four years ago, the foundation has prioritized the health and wellness of teachers and school staff, a commitment reaffirmed at Davis Primary, located three miles north of Old Harbour’s town centre. 

Dr. Thomas, who hails from Colbeck, emphasized the importance of supporting educators. 

“We recognize that our teachers are the cornerstones of our nation and every one of us have been impacted by the time, the effort, the kindness and the patience of our teachers,” she said. “And often times our teachers are unappreciated and unrecognized. So we aim to bring some awareness of health to our teachers… so that they themselves will know where they stand in terms of their heath journey and that they can make the necessary adjustment so that they can be well and able to not just teach our kids but be present and be available to their families and loved ones.”

Screenings revealed concerning health trends among some participants, with one individual advised to seek immediate medical attention due to elevated NCD risk factors. Dr. Thomas attributed these issues partly to poor lifestyle habits, exacerbated by the high-stress nature of teaching. Her observations align with Ministry of Health data, which ranks NCDs among Jamaica’s top five causes of death. A 2022 report found that 61 percent of Jamaicans are overweight or obese, while over 30 percent lead sedentary lifestyles. 

Taneisha Johnson, the school’s guidance counselor, praised the initiative. 

“Based on our job here it is so much demanding on our teachers and that this is so important for us to know what is happening in our body so that we can fix or minimize what is happening in there,” Johnson said. 

“I know that we have agencies out here but most of the times these agents they are booked or almost full to do these kinds of health fairs. 

“I am really elated to see that we could offer something to our teachers, support staff and all the staff at Davis Primary School so that they can see that health is important to their daily task.”

Though a small team, TagHeart Foundation has bold plans. Dr. Thomas shared hopes to expand their impact through partnerships with stakeholders, ensuring more educators receive vital preventive care.