Health & Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, addressing Parliament on Tuesday
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With premature deaths on the rise in Jamaica, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton is urging the public to practice early and annual screenings for chronic diseases.
Premature death refers to death that occurs before age 75.
Dr Tufton says the government's "Know Your Numbers" initiative which aims to create awareness for key health matrices including cholesterol levels and hypertension among others, recorded less than 50 percent of its target to conduct 500,000 screening tests and treatment referrals.
The Health Minister, addressing the House of Representatives on Tuesday, said, as at November 2024, only 220,639 screenings had been conducted.
The programme started in 2023.
Dr Tufton said data continues to highlight a gap in health-seeking behaviour between men and women.
The Ministry of Health & Wellness says it is working to enhance the effectiveness of the programme by strengthening regional outreach and accessibility, deploying mobile screening units to under-served areas and broadening the reach of screening activities through direct intervention in communities.
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