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World Bank urges Caribbean countries to address NCDs

The World Bank is urging Caribbean countries to urgently address the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases that account for more than 75 per cent of all deaths in the region.
 
Health experts from the World Bank and regional stakeholders say such losses are having devastating economic consequences, including productivity losses and unsustainable healthcare costs.
 
The bank says, NCDs account for losses estimated at 5.34 per cent of GDP in Jamaica and 5.87 per cent of GDP in Barbados.
 
Jamaica alone has seen $17.2 billion in lost economic output over 15 years.
 
The World Bank's senior economist, Dr. Edit Veleny, says investments in NCD prevention can yield high returns.
 
He says for every $1 spent on NCD prevention in Jamaica, $2.01 is gained in healthcare savings and productivity, with potential GDP savings of 4.3 per cent and 5,700 lives saved over 15 years.


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