Impact Metrics

State of Healthcare Access and Health Outcomes in Jamaica

Jamaica has made significant strides in healthcare access and health outcomes, but key challenges remain that demand immediate attention to ensure equitable healthcare access, improved public health, and sustainable solutions. Below are critical areas for urgent intervention, based on recent data:

1. Maternal & Infant Health: Preventing Unnecessary Deaths

• Maternal Mortality: The maternal mortality ratio increased by 19.1% from 2000 to 2020, now standing at 98.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is far higher than the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of less than 70 per 100,000.
• Infant Mortality: While progress has been made, 16.7 infants per 1,000 live births still die in Jamaica—preventable with improved prenatal care, nutrition, and healthcare infrastructure.
  Immediate Need: More investment in maternal healthcare programs, midwife training, and access to emergency obstetric services is critical to reducing avoidable maternal and infant deaths.

2. The Growing Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

• Obesity Crisis: 63% of Jamaican women and 47% of men are overweight, a major contributor to chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
• Hypertension Epidemic: 1 in 5 adults (21.8%) suffers from high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke, kidney failure, and cardiovascular disease.
  Immediate Need: Expanding preventative health education, nutrition literacy, and community-based fitness programs is crucial to curbing the obesity epidemic and reducing the burden of NCDs.

3. Limited Healthcare Resources & Workforce Shortages

• Hospital Beds: Jamaica has only 1.67 hospital beds per 1,000 people, well below developed country standards (3-8 per 1,000), leading to overcrowding and inadequate patient care.
• Nursing Shortage: The country has 0.91 nurses per 1,000 people, creating a severe gap in quality healthcare service delivery.
  Immediate Need: Urgent action is needed to train and retain more nurses, improve hospital infrastructure, and expand mobile healthcare solutions to reduce system strain.

4. Communicable Diseases & Health Disparities

• HIV Cases: With an incidence rate of 28.1 per 100,000, HIV remains a major public health concern that requires better prevention, education, and treatment access.
• Tuberculosis (TB) Cases: Though relatively low (3 new cases per 100,000 in 2022), TB remains a threat in vulnerable populations, particularly those with HIV co-infection.
  Immediate Need: Expanding public health outreach, free HIV testing, and preventative education programs is essential to reducing new infections and ensuring access to life-saving treatments.

5. Environmental Health Risks Impacting Public Well-Being

• Air Pollution: Jamaica’s annual PM2.5 air pollution levels (15 µg/m³) exceed WHO safety standards (5 µg/m³), increasing respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases.
• Lack of Clean Cooking Fuels: 17% of the population still relies on polluting fuels, exposing families—especially women and children—to harmful indoor air pollution.
  Immediate Need: Stronger policies on clean energy access, sustainable development, and pollution reduction can improve public health and environmental sustainability.

The Path Forward

Jamaica’s healthcare system faces critical challenges, but targeted interventions can make a tangible impact. Expanding maternal health services, tackling NCDs through education, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, improving infectious disease control, and addressing environmental health risks should be top priorities.

The Xamayca Foundation is committed to tackling these challenges through health education, community outreach, technology-driven healthcare solutions, and sustainable initiatives—because a healthier Jamaica starts with informed communities and accessible care.