Small Island Developing States like Jamaica face unique developmental, environmental, and health challenges exacerbated by the distal effects of Climate Change and other environmental issues. Many are undergoing an epidemiological transition where there is an increase in the prevalence of obesity and chronic noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, cancers, and trauma with a concomitant decline in malnutrition in children, while infectious diseases are being dominated by viral infections such as HIV and arbovirus infections. These twin challenges to public health are magnified by the disruptions to physical, biological, and ecological systems caused by environmental threats. The velocity of these effects requires urgent actions to understand, develop and implement adaptive responses to protect our world, and secure our health.  Within this context, the MAJ will host its annual symposium in 2023 with the goals of: 

1. Identifying the scope of environmental challenges and climate impacts, on populations, and the associated potential health outcomes.
2. Appraising the evidence for health intervention strategies to mitigate the impact on the environment and health.