Athletic success and Reggae music have earned Jamaica global fame over the years, but the island nation has contributed to the international community in different areas, both at home and globally, and honored for some top inventions used across the continent.
As we gear up for Jamaica sixtieth anniversary, let’s have a look at five notable accomplishments in science by Jamaicans.
Let’s get started!
- Prostate Cancer Cure
Dr. Henry Lowe, an acclaimed Jamaican scientist, unveiled Alpha Prostate Formula 1 into the market in 2012. This happened two years after the major announcement of the discovery of a cure for prostate cancer.
Made with herbs and organic ingredients from the Ball Moss plant, the products that aid in prostate cancer treatment are sold under the Eden Gardens Brand. Alpha Prostate Formula 1 is accredited for export to North America and other nations and is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Association). You can consult your doctor about the treatments.
- Disease-Resistant Papaya
Dr. Paula Tennant is a Jamaican biotechnologist known for creating a genetically modified papaya strain to resist the Ring Spot disease. The new papaya strain was named the Solo Sunrise. Dr. Tennant became the first individual from the Caribbean to develop a bioengineered product during her Cornell University research days.
She changed the pathological gene found in the fruit and created papaya to resist the Ring Spot disease. The local papaya industry, which suffered the threat of the intrusive disease, benefited from her discovery.
- Canasol Glaucoma Treatment
Another innovation to be proud of as we gear up for Jamaica sixtieth anniversary. Canasol is a medicated treatment in the form of eye drops extracted from the marijuana plant. It is the first medication for glaucoma, an eye condition that damages the optic nerve. Canasol was first created in the University of West Indies, Mona, by a team of Jamaican researchers comprised Professor Manley West, a pharmacologist, and Dr. Albert Lockhart, an ophthalmologist.
The discovery progressed after 10 years of thorough research into the marijuana plant, which rural folks believe can help improve vision disorders using different weed concoctions. This glaucoma treatment is known for its minimal to no side effects, different from other synthetic drugs used to treat the same condition.
- JaipurKnee Prosthetic
JaipurKnee is a prosthetic knee developed by Jamaican Joel Sadler and his team. Developed at Stanford University, these prosthetic knees are affordable and available to the public. In 2009, Joel Sadler, together with Americans Ayor Roberts, Angelo Szychowski, and Eric Thorsell, developed the affordable prosthetic knee as part of their Master’s Degree program in the university.
For just 20 US dollars (compared to the regular cost of 10,000 USD), and standard normal use of about three years, TIME Magazine listed the JaipurKnee among the top 50 inventions of 2009.
- Ortanique Fruit
Most Jamaicans might be shocked to discover that ortanique is a local invention developed in Mandeville, Manchester. Developed by Dr. David Daniel Phillips, it is cross-pollinate between tangerine and orange. Dr. Daniel Phillips is a relative of popular legislator Dr. Peter Phillips.
Ortanique, also known as Tangelo, has flourished in Manchester’s cool hills for over a century. It has a unique sweet flavor, thanks to the soil in that region, rich in bauxite.
These accomplishments put Jamaica among the top nations that have made a significant contribution to the different fields of science. Most of these innovations have not only been impactful to Jamaica as a nation but the world at large. These are achievements worth celebrating as we commemorate Jamaica’s sixtieth anniversary.
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