Taskforce to look at strategies to tackle Jamaica's declining birth rate

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has announced that a National Fertility and Family Support Strategy is to be developed as the Ministry of Health and Wellness looks to address the country’s declining birth rate.

Tufton announced in his Sectoral Presentation to Parliament, plans to engage in national dialogue on the issue through a multi-stakeholder National Taskforce on Fertility and Responsible Parenting.

He says the taskforce will include representatives from health, labour, education, finance, academia, civil society and the private sector. 

He said the taskforce would be responsible for developing the family support strategy within 12 months, with targets for 2030.

Tufton said over the next two years, the ministry will lead conversations around community and society-based interventions focused on financial support for families and responsible parenting;  expanded maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave; and affordable childcare and early childhood support.

The discussions will also focus on improved reproductive and postnatal health services, and parenting education and stronger community support systems.

“The Government is not asking Jamaicans to have children for statistical reasons. It is committed to building conditions where family formation is genuinely affordable, structurally supported, and celebrated. The intention is to pursue this initiative to affirm that this Government continues to believe that family remains the foundation of the nation's future,” Tufton said.

The country’s fertility rate has now fallen to approximately 1.3 children per woman, significantly below the replacement level of 2.1. 

The health ministry notes that the decline poses serious implications for Jamaica’s long-term economic stability, workforce sustainability, and social support systems, including an ageing population, rising dependency ratios, and reduced economic activity.

It adds that global evidence shows that countries with strong family support systems, including parental leave, affordable childcare, and early childhood support, have seen improved fertility outcomes, while short-term financial incentives alone have had limited impact.

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