The Ministry of Health and Wellness has suspended a controversial youth Chatbot which was launched earlier this year by one of the agencies under its remit.
The MOH said it has noted public concerns regarding the use of the Yute Expression’s Yute Chatz chat line and is currently evaluating these concerns in the context of Jamaica’s Health and Family Life policy. The chat service was temporarily suspended on Monday.
The MOH decision comes hours after Dr. Daniel Thomas of the Love March Movement sent out an action call to parents, teachers, and concerned citizens to lodge their concerns about the service with the Ministry of Health and Wellness with the request for it to be taken down.
Many criticised the service for its promotion of harmful sexually deviant content to children.
Yute Chatz, a chatbot introduced by the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) in collaboration with UNICEF and U-Report Jamaica, has been operational since January 2024.
The MOH noted that the NFPB will be integrated into the Ministry of Health and Wellness as a division, in alignment with the Public Sector Transformation Programme and decisions on public body rationalisation. The NFPB, which currently operates as a public body under the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act (2001), will be dissolved effective July 31, 2024, following the tabling of the NFPB Repeal Act in 2023.
As part of this integration, the Ministry said it intends to conduct a comprehensive review of all NFPB programmes and activities to determine their future implementation within the Ministry.
