Child Health and Development Passport expected September

No. 130 Friday, August 20, 2010
Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer says approximately 45,000 children are expected to receive the new Child Health and Development Passport (CHDP) over the one year period from its implementation on September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2011.

   The Minister was speaking on Thursday, August 18, 2010 at the official launch of the CHD] held at the St. Catherine Health Department in Spanish Town.
   The Passport is intended for babies born on and after September 1, 2010 and will be used instead of the immunization card for these children as it will contain that information.
   “The passport was developed in response to the need to further improve the health of our children and meet our obligations under the Millennium Development Goals which require us to reduce infant mortality and child mortality rates by two thirds by 2015.
   We have made significant strides in this regard as our infant mortality rate now stands at 21 per 1000 lives births from 26 per 1000 live births and our child mortality rate is currently at 25 per 1000 live births coming from 32,” said Minister Spencer.
   He added that the CHDP will assist in further improving these rates.
   Information such as medical history, nutrition guidelines, growth charts and educational and developmental tips for parents will be included in the document.
   It will also contain immunization records which every child must have and the immunization card as we know it will be eventually phased out. Importantly he said, the passport is only for children born after Sept. 1, 2010; older children will still continue to use the existing
   Immunization cards as they will not be replaced by the Passport. The CHDP will be used to capture information that will be able to monitor the child’s growth and development to ensure that he or she is developing at the normal level.
   “We developed this passport so that we can be better able to track a child’s development in a comprehensive way and take corrective action at an early stage if the need arises,” said Minister Spencer.