Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says every effort must be made to reduce the incidents of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), as these beset too many Jamaicans.
He pointed out that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has increased the vulnerability of persons to poor health outcomes, while presenting a significant challenge to the economy. Approximately 15 per cent of the health budget is being spent on ailments associated with NCDs.
Among these are “diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer – as is reflected in the 2017 investment case for the prevention and control of NCDs in Jamaica”, the Minister said while addressing Thursday’s (October 14) virtual launch of Phase-3 of the front-o- package labels (FOPLs) media campaign, being spearheaded by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica.
