The Ministry of Well being and Wellness is to make use of information from the fourth Jamaica Well being and Life-style Survey (JHLS IV) as a information in formulating insurance policies.
The 15-month survey, to be carried out by the College of the West Indies (UWI) Epidemiology Unit, shall be used as a information for the allocation of well being sources, and the analysis of the influence of public well being interventions.
Addressing a contract-signing ceremony for the venture on the Ministry’s New Kingston workplace on Wednesday (June 18), portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, mentioned focus shall be on the main causes of sickness and dying within the nation, particularly non-communicable ailments (NCDs).
He famous that the Ministry has performed research earlier than, in collaboration with companions on the UWI and different stakeholders, including that the “information on life-style ailments or NCDs, the present state of the inhabitants, because it pertains to how affected or bothered they’re from NCDs, should be studied”.
“Hopefully, a type of route as to the place we have to go, what we have to deal with, how we have to neutralise, cauterise, and forestall these ailments is a vital a part of the overarching technique,” the Minister mentioned.
Dr. Tufton argued that the survey provides a chance to develop particular and focused programmes, because it captures age cohort, some geographic distribution, and what are among the major causes of sicknesses, together with ignorance, “individuals not understanding”.
“Too many Jamaicans don’t know [their health status] till they find yourself in an accident and emergency ward. They don’t know that their blood sugar stage is out, they usually don’t know they’re hypertensive, till they get a stroke. So, these are the kind of sensible realities that we now have to confront and take care of, which is why the info is so vital,” the Minister mentioned.
Information from previous surveys have had a major influence on nationwide well being planning.
The final spherical, JHLS III, revealed that one in three Jamaicans was residing with hypertension, and almost half of these affected have been unaware of their situation.
It additionally confirmed that greater than 50 per cent of adults have been chubby or overweight, and fewer than 20 per cent have been getting sufficient bodily exercise.
