Non-Communicable Diseases in Jamaica: Moving from Prescription to Prevention
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Jamaica. The most prevalent are hypertension, diabetes and asthma.
- Patterns of a specific disease vary considerably by socioeconomic subgroups, but females, seniors, and rural residents are at higher risk.
- Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are major risk factors.
- Jamaica is carrying a double burden of both communicable diseases and NCDs.
- NCDs are rising substantially and rapidly as the population lives longer.
- 63 percent of “Years of Life Lost” are due to NCDs compared to a global average of less than 50 percent and 60 percent for low- and middle-income countries in the Americas.
Download the full fact sheet as a pdf document here.