The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JACDO) and the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) have signed a two year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will enable athletes and their support personnel to learn about the health consequences of doping directly from medical practitioners. The agreement which was signed on December 8, 2014, will run through December 8, 2016.
Welcoming the MOU, Carey Brown, Executive Director of JADCO, said “We look forward to partnering with the JMDA to empower athletes and their support personnel. JADCO’s public education programme includes information on banned substances and methods on the WADA Prohibited List and we believe medical practitioners are the best persons to deliver this information to athletes and their support personnel.”
He further added, “Our athletes will benefit extensively from the expertise of the doctors and the partnership will prove to be mutually beneficial for both JADCO and the JMDA.”
Dr. Alfred Dawes, President of the JMDA, commended the Anti-Doping Agency, noting that “JADCO has been doing an excellent job with respect to educating local athletes about banned substances. We look forward to strengthening this programme by providing our expertise as doctors to aid in this effort.”
As a result of this partnership, members of the JMDA will make presentations about banned substances, on behalf of JADCO, at workshops held across the island.
The Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association, formerly the Junior Doctors’ Association, was founded in 1975. Registered as a Trade Union in 2004, the JMDA represents all medical doctors in the government health services who work below the rank of consultant, including medical interns, senior house officers and medical officers, levels I-III.
JADCO was formally established as the national anti-doping organisation of Jamaica, with the passage of the Anti-Doping in Sport Act of 2008. Its mission is to foster a dope free environment in Jamaica that promotes the ethics and spirit of sport through education, testing, advocacy and coordination of an effective Anti-Doping Programme in Jamaica.
