KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday that it is transitioning to the second phase of its assistance to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa last October, shifting from short-term emergency deployments to longer-term institutional strengthening.
PAHO said, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), that priorities include expanding training for health workers on key mental health and psychosocial support interventions, restoring and equipping mobile mental health outreach teams, institutionalising the Care for Carers programme, and optimising parish-level information systems to improve mental health support services.
“The next phase must prioritise consolidating and expanding these capacities through institutional mechanisms,” advised Marcello de Queiroz, a mental health expert with PAHO who was deployed to Jamaica immediately after the hurricane.
PAHO said that the hurricane, which killed at least 45 people and left damage estimated at nine billion US dollars, severely damaged health service infrastructure and disrupted life in Jamaica.
It said in the aftermath, thousands of displaced families, health workers, children, and people living with chronic illnesses continue to deal with the storm’s psychosocial impacts, including acute stress, grief, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.
PAHO said that with shelters operating at capacity and privacy in short supply, early assessments show that people who lost their homes or livelihoods are experiencing deep feelings of helplessness and uncertainty. Older adults, overwhelmed health workers, and people living with chronic illnesses are also struggling with fatigue and diminished coping abilities.
For decades, Jamaica has delivered mental health care through a community-based model integrated into its primary health system. The MoHW deploys mental health experts -psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses – to health centers across the island on a weekly or biweekly basis.
“This rotation system allows people to access care close to home – through outpatient mental health clinics, home visits, and mobile outreach teams – and ensures that individuals with severe conditions receive adequate and continuous support. This model normally provides broad, equitable coverage, with over 300 participating clinics.”
According to post-hurricane analysis, over 130 health clinics were damaged, disrupting services. In Trelawny, for example, two of six mental health service sites became non-functional after the hurricane. At the same time, in St. Elizabeth, four of six centers stopped operations – dramatically reducing access to routine follow-up and medication continuity for people living with mental health conditions.
PAHO said as a result, urgent clinical and psychosocial risks emerged: people with severe mental illness who depend on regular treatment were suddenly at risk of disruption and relapse, while communities already coping with acute stress, grief, and anxiety faced even greater vulnerability in the hurricane’s aftermath.
“The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa has led to widespread emotional distress, and if it is not addressed in a coordinated way, we will miss people who require mental and psychological support,” explains Dr. Kevin Goulbourne, Director of Mental Health Services for the MoWH.
PAHO immediately provided support to help the MOHW organise a multilayered support system, reactivate critical services, and coordinate dozens of responding organisations.
It said that just days after the hurricane, the Ministry, supported by PAHO, conducted a 48-hour assessment and activated the National MHPSS Working Group, which brought together 14 organizations. The group adapted and rolled out the WHO/PAHO 4Ws tool, a simple and effective way to identify gaps, understand challenges, and map who was doing what and where in the early phase of a response.
PAHO said many of the hardest-hit communities – St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, Westmoreland, and St. James – experienced prolonged isolation due to blocked roads and damaged infrastructure. MoHW and PAHO mobilized 20 trained volunteers to deliver psychosocial support in shelters.
These interventions integrate structured problem-solving counseling with key behavioral strategies to improve people’s ability to cope and function. Joined by the Jamaican Red Cross and C-TECH, these teams reached approximately 950 people in the first two weeks, providing psychological first aid, stress management techniques, and referrals as needed.
Simultaneously, PAHO, in collaboration with the MoHW and the University of the West Indies (UWI), launched a series of weekly face-to-face training sessions in Psychological First Aid (PFA). These sessions are complemented by the dissemination of comprehensive guidance materials designed to strengthen the MHPSS surge response. Over 100 health sector workers have been trained thus far, including participants from the hardest-hit communities.
PAHO said health workers were among the most heavily affected by the hurricane, working under extreme stress while dealing with personal losses and displacement.
To support them, PAHO said it helped establish a weekly “Care for Carers” deployment of mental health professionals from the Southeast Regional Health Authority to the most affected parishes. By the end of the month, over 200 health workers from 11 health facilities had received group or individual support sessions.
“Many health professionals are experiencing grief and loss, have lost their homes, and still feel compelled to continue working in emergency settings and provide services,” said Roriz de Queiroz.
With PAHO’s support, the MoHW intensified mental health messaging through radio, social media, and printed materials. The campaigns promote positive coping strategies, counter misinformation, and connect people to support services like the national Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline and the UMatter Chatline.
Regional psychiatrists were invited to join the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Working Group to update them on evolving needs. Mobile mental health teams reestablished follow-up, home visits, and medication continuity in hard-to-reach communities, efforts crucial to reaching psychiatric patients whose treatment was interrupted by the hurricane.
“With PAHO’s support, we have developed indicators and data collection sheets used by MHPSS providers to ensure we can record data for monitoring and evaluation. With this information, we can make adjustments to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of our support,” Dr. Kevin Goulbourne added.
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