St James Health Department seeking support for rat control
Published:Saturday | October 11, 2025 | 12:07 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
In an effort to curb the parish’s rat problem, Sherika Lewis, acting chief public health inspector for the parish, is calling for the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) and other stakeholders to fully support the St James Health Department’s ongoing rodent control programme.
Lewis said the rodent control programme, now going into its second phase, will cost more than $2 million.
“We are looking at a budget of approximately $2.75 million for the programme, and we are seeking funding for this initiative. I am sure that we are seeing a reduction in the rodent population across the city, and we want to maintain that going forward,” Lewis stated while presenting the health department’s monthly report at Thursday’s monthly meeting of the StJMC.
“We are really anticipating the second phase of our rodent control programme, after coming off a very successful phase one of the programme.
“We are hoping for the overall programme to extend throughout the entire parish, and this will include eight phases,” he added, calling for the support of stakeholders, including residents, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Tourism Enhancement Fund, Tourism Product Development Company, police, Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, the business community, National Works Agency, service clubs, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, and the media.
St James has had several programmes over the years to combat the parish’s perpetual rat infestation issues, which are often blamed on improper food and garbage disposal practices, which provide breeding grounds for rats. Previous initiatives include the health department’s partnering with the private sector for financial and community support in October 2019, and creating small operational groups with local businesses to terminate rats in January 2020.
FIRST PHASE OF INITIATIVE
The first phase of the St James Health Department’s most recent initiative was launched on Labour Day this year, under the theme ‘Keep Rodents Away from Montego Bay’. It covered 18 priority areas within Montego Bay’s commercial district.
Lewis outlined several locations where the programme’s second phase will be focused, including Montego Bay’s Charles Gordon Market and sections of the city’s downtown district.
“Areas to be included in phase two of the programme are the streets, lanes, and internal areas that are bounded by Creek Street, Cottage Road, Dudley Kassin Drive, Westgate, and Barnett Street,” she said. “We will also be focusing our efforts on several hotspots to include the Charles Gordon Market, Fort Street, Sam Sharpe Square, and the transportation centre, and we are planning to rebait these areas twice per month as we want to suppress the rodent population.”
Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, chairman of the StJMC, acknowledged St James’ struggles with waste management, following a report from the NSWMA that 57 districts across the parish are in backlog for garbage collection as of September, and that illegal dumping continues to be a challenge for the waste-collection agency.
“The municipality is on edge where waste management is concerned, and it is not in any particular area, but the challenge is felt right across the municipality, all divisions. The residents have been complaining, and we are very much aware of that,” said Vernon.