Tufton welcomes findings of World Bank health review

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, has welcomed and endorsed the findings of the Jamaica Health Public Expenditure Review, prepared by the World Bank at the request of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the Ministry.

The review covers the period 2016 to 2022 and measures the country’s progress against the bank’s 2017 Review and in comparison with countries similar to Jamaica.

Addressing the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 3, Tufton said the review found evidence of “real progress”, noting that Jamaica distinguishes itself in the region through the high priority it accords to healthcare.

“By 2021/22, the Ministry’s spending had reached 16 per cent of central government expenditure, a larger share than almost every other Caribbean country. That share grew even in a period of fiscal discipline,” he stated.

The review further noted that the financial burden on households has declined.

“Government now finances 68 per cent of current health spending, up from below 40 per cent in 2012. [So] out-of-pocket payments have fallen to 15 per cent, below the international threshold of 20 per cent. The bank credits our tax-financed system with strong equity and financial protection, the dividend of removing user fees from public facilities,” the Minister said.

“We have [also] invested in our facilities. Capital spending more than doubled in real terms between 2015/16 and 2019/20, and spending on the maintenance and upgrading of facilities rose by 150 per cent,” he added.

The review also highlighted that more Jamaicans are gaining access to their medicines.

Tufton said National Health Fund (NHF) prescriptions rose from 1.5 million to 2.7 million, enrolment grew by 86 per cent, and prescription fill rates improved from 85 to 92 per cent.

“Our health workforce has [also] grown. Since 2016, we have established some 1,996 posts for medical officers. Of note is that there has been a 30 per cent increase in doctors in primary care, in keeping with the reform of primary healthcare, moving from 338 in 2023 to 432 in 2025. We also established 1,495 posts for registered nurses, and 97 for midwives. We also created 1,079 posts for Community Health Aides (CHAs) and the number of Public Health Inspector posts have also been increased from 460 to 862 with the addition of 405 posts in 2022. Seventy new vector control posts were also added in 2022,” he informed.

The Minister also informed the Lower House that the review showed non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to be responsible for close to four in every five deaths, and that maternal and neonatal mortality remain high.

“Spending per person is still below our peers… , too much of it goes to late-stage hospital care, and medicines costs have grown rapidly. We need more nurses and more doctors in our health centres. And our Service Level Agreements with the Regional Health Authorities are not yet used to their full potential to hold the system accountable,” Tufton said.

He noted that none of the findings came as a surprise to the Ministry, “as they validate the internal assessment that the Ministry itself undertook, which led to the development of Vision for Health 2030, our 10-year strategic plan”.

Meanwhile, Tufton said that over the past decade, the Ministry has taken steps to improve healthcare delivery, noting that ‘Jamaica Moves’ was launched in 2017 to tackle physical inactivity, poor diet and the risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

He also reiterated the importance of the ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign, which encourages Jamaicans to undergo annual health checks and become aware of their key health indicators and vital signs.

On primary healthcare, the Ministry adopted the Primary Health Care Policy and, through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Union (EU), has been upgrading health centres into comprehensive facilities.

These efforts include the transformation of the Greater Portmore Health Centre and the redevelopment of Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine.

“On mothers and children, the Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) strengthened high-dependency and neonatal care in our hospitals. The Western Child and Adolescent Hospital in Montego Bay, a gift from the People’s Republic of China, will be the first hospital of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean… . [it is] slated to come on stream by the end of this financial year,” Tufton said.

Regarding infrastructure, he reported that the Ministry has rehabilitated Cornwall Regional Hospital and, following Hurricane Melissa, will work with the National Resilience and Recovery Authority (NaRRA) to rebuild the Black River, Falmouth and Noel Holmes hospitals to more resilient standards.

In relation to medicines, the National Health Fund (NHF) merged the NHF Card and the Jamaica Drugs for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) in 2020, streamlining access to medication and pharmaceutical benefits for patients.

Tufton stated that the review demonstrates that Jamaica has made health a national priority and that this commitment is yielding tangible results.

“It also tells us that the next stage is about value: prevention and primary care, people deployed where they are needed, and accountability for results. That is the agenda of Vision for Health 2030, and the Review identifies significant areas of alignment with this direction,” he stated.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, I thank the [World] Bank for its partnership and its commitment to strengthening health service delivery in Jamaica, and I look forward to continuing our work together,” he added.

- JIS News

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