Westmoreland Health Department and CARPIN partner to tackle child poisoning

The Westmoreland Health Department has partnered with the Caribbean Poison Information Network (CARPIN) to strengthen public education initiatives aimed at reducing incidents of accidental poisoning among children in the parish.

Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, notes that the issue remains a major public health concern and continues to appear in surveillance reports despite ongoing awareness campaigns.

He told JIS News that an upcoming webinar, scheduled for May 27 in collaboration with CARPIN, forms part of the parish’s continued efforts to educate parents, caregivers, and other stakeholders on the importance of properly securing hazardous substances in homes. 

The session will run from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. via the Zoom platform.

The webinar is expected to equip participants with vital information on poison prevention, child safety, and practical measures that families can implement to reduce risks within the home.

“The Westmoreland Health Department is very happy to partner with CARPIN… [which] has been a tower of strength to us. They have always provided support in advancing the war on accidental poison,” Miller said.

He noted that accidental poisoning is entirely preventable and stressed that greater vigilance is needed to safeguard children from accessing dangerous chemicals and substances.

“In the 21st century, we shouldn’t be having this kind of problem where children are in a position where they can access harmful substances that can pose a threat to their life and safety,” Miller maintained.

He emphasised that stronger public awareness and sustained behavioural change are critical to addressing the issue, noting that the Health Department has consistently leveraged media engagements and public forums to reinforce the message.

“To have CARPIN partnering with the Health Promotion Unit at the Westmoreland Health Department in staging this webinar is welcoming, and we hope the participants will get the information and then apply it and share it as best as possible so we can have a paradigm shift… so we can have no accidental poisoning happening in the parish,” Miller added.

He further highlighted that the Department has previously hosted Think Tanks and participated in several media interviews dedicated to poison prevention and child safety.

The Health Promotion Officer emphasised that parents and caregivers must ensure chemicals and other hazardous substances are securely stored and kept out of children’s reach.

Miller added that educating children about the dangers of harmful substances is also essential in reducing cases of accidental poisoning.

“We have to also play our part in sharing the information with the children, as well as taking all the precautions to ensure that these things are not within their reach, so the children can have access to them,” he stated.

- JIS News

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