Information Sheet JAMAICA American Overseas Dietetic Association 2017 Patricia Thompson 2017 Credentialing Verification Authorities: The credentialling body is known as the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM) and is shared by seven other health professions. The Professional titles on our register are currently dietitian, nutritionist, dietetic assistant, nutrition assistant, but these are under review. Communication: Country code (876) The time difference is 1 hour for EST during DST Ongoing Nutrition Activities in Jamaica
Contents 1. National Dietetic Association 2. National Nutrition Programmes & Project 3. Organizations working on Health & Nutrition a. National Organizations b. International Organizations c. Educational Institutions d. NGO's 4. Assessment of Training Quality of National Dietitians, their Professional Role and Prestige 5. Brief Description of National Healthcare System and Private Practice 6. Employment Opportunities Profile 7. Obtaining Work Permits 8. Local Food Customs and Culture 9. CE Opportunities (Local As Well As Upcoming AODA Conference) 10. AODA Volunteer Opportunities
Jamaica Association of Professionals in Nutrition and Dietetics (JAPINAD) 1. National Dietetic Association Japinad@yahoo.com japinad@gmail.com Caribbean Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians (CANDi) Related organizations eatwellcaribbean@yahoo.com President is in St. Vincent andreadrobin@gmail.com 2. National Nutrition Programmes/Projects (1) Ministry of Health campaign on Move For Health to promote physical activity and proper nutrition across the nation towards achieving a healthy nation. (2) National Food and Nutrition Security Policy for Jamaica - Ministry of Agriculture - www.moa.gov.jm www.fao.org/.../righttofood/.../caricomregionalfoodandnutritionsecuritypolicy- 3. Organizations working on Health & Nutrition a. National Organizations (Government) (1) Nutrition Division in Health Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Health moh.gov.jm (2) National Food Industry Task Force 3b. International Organisations Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) www.paho.org/jam/ UNICEF - https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/ Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO - jncunesco.gov.jm FAO www.fao.org/ 3c. Educational Institutes (Nutrition Education & Research) University of Technology (UTech) University of the West Indies (Mona campus) Northern Caribbean University https://www.utech.edu.jm/ https://www.mona.uwi.edu/ https://www.ncu.edu.jm/
3d. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) Jamaica Island Nutrition Network (JINN) www.jamaicanutrition.com Diabetes Association of Jamaica (DAJ) Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) Jamaica Cancer Society jamaicacancersociety.org www.diabetesjamaica.com/ www.heartfoundation.org.jm/ 4. Assessment of Training Quality of National Dietitians, their Professional Role and Prestige Nutritionists and Dietitians are professionals with a minimum training of a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Food and Nutrition Science. This is followed by a period of supervised practice and depending on the specific orientation could be an institutionalized (hospital) internship for dietitians, or a practicum and/or research project in the case of nutritionists or a combination of hospital, community, food service, research components. The Bachelors is a 4-year degree at our local universities (UTech and NCU) but the Masters Nutrition degree is offered from the regional university (UWI). The programmes are accredited by the University Council of Jamaica but more recently the Caribbean Agency for Accreditation of Medicine and Health Professions (CAAM-HP) was instituted for all CARICOM countries. Most professionals are employed to the Health Ministry as dietitians in hospital or nutritionists attached to health centres or in the community. Some are employed in Food Industry in marketing, food science research, Education at all levels, Pharmaceutical Industry, Nutrition Research, Food Standards and policies in nutrition related technical agencies, in business and entrepreneurship, development programmes in Government or International agencies, or self employed in private practice, wellness and media consultancy, school nutrition, and sports nutrition. 5. Brief Description of National Healthcare System and Private Practice Teaching and nutrition counselling through the health services are often associated with food distribution and supplementation programmes directed towards children and pregnant and nursing women. A number of clinics operate monitoring systems to determine the development of the children using growth charts and identify early cases of malnutrition and mothers are given education on the nutrition of children. Primary Health Care services are divided into four levels, with a referral system. This starts from the smaller and simpler Type I, with the more complex cases being seen at the Type IV health centres. Programmes include breastfeeding, obesity and chronic disorders and HIV/AIDS treatments. 6. Employment Opportunities Profile Currently few opportunities are available in the public service but the local association is working on this. Stringent economic policies by the IMF limit this.
7. Obtaining Work Permits Application is made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and approved through the Ministry of Labour. A spouse of a Jamaican is exempt as well as CARICOM Nationals once they were trained at the regional university (UWI). 8. Local Food Customs and Culture Traditionally, Jamaicans like large cooked meals. The cooked breakfast, which may be as big as lunch or even dinner is sometimes leftover dinner such as rice and peas with chicken. During the week, because of little time, they eat more western type breakfasts like egg and bread or cereals with milk but on weekends, they prefer the traditional breakfasts of ackee and saltfish or liver with yam, green banana, flour dumplings or breadfruit. Children are often given a cooked gruel or porridge preferably made from cornmeal, hominy corn, peanuts or any of the starchy fruits such as plantain or green banana. As a source of protein, Jamaicans like fish for breakfast either fresh fried such as herring or whole snapper or from a can such as sardines or mackerel. Salted codfish is a favourite and this is prepared with greens called callaloo (similar to spinach), cabbage, or with another sources of protein such as canned corned beef. Meats include pork/pig s tail, chicken especially the bony parts neck and back, goat and to a lesser beef and oxtail. Foods are preferred spicy and highly flavoured especially with hot pepper. Cooking methods are mainly fried or boiled in salted water. Dishes tend therefore to be high in fat and also salt. Moist cooking methods for meat are preferred to the dry ones. Stewing is the most popular and may be preceded by first frying in oil or by using burnt sugar in oil to brown the meat. Curry is also popular, a sign of East Indian heritage and soy sauce of Chinese heritage. Jamaicans love juice made fresh but with extra sugar added. They also love sweets and various snacks such as banana chips and biscuits. Holiday eating centres around Christmas lots of food and drinks - and at Easter bun and cheese. 9. CE Opportunities (Local As Well As Upcoming AODA Conference) The local association has an annual technical session at its AGM and shorter sessions are also offered at quarterly meetings. The various NGOs have conferences and symposia especially diabetes, JINN (sports nutrition and lifestyle nutrition), Scientific Research Council (food science) and other health professions such as pharmacy, medicine and nursing. The CPSM provides Continuing Education Units which are approved in advance. International organizations may also offer conferences such as PAHO on obesity and exercise and FAO on food security as well as Nestle on Child Nutrition. 10. AODA Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer opportunities are available through the NGOs such as Camp Yellowbird for children with diabetes by the diabetes association and well as through the professional association giving lectures to church and community groups. Volunteering as AODA is not done since members are often involved in too many other organizations and church work.
For further information please contact: Patricia Thompson M.Sc. DMS, SNS, MSN Registered Nutritionist Jamaica Island Nutrition Network 3 York Castle Avenue, Kingston 6 Jamaica Tel: 876-977-4561 or 322-3142 Email: nutritionjamaica@gmail.com or patriciatho@gmail.com Website: www. jamaicanutrition.com