Page 246

Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

C ommo nwe a l t h memb e r c o u n t r i e s 96 per cent had access to adequate sanitation facilities. The most recent survey, conducted in the period 2000–11, reports that St Kitts and Nevis has 50 pharmaceutical personnel per 100,000 people. St Kitts and Nevis has four public hospitals; three are in St Kitts and one is in Nevis. Of these hospitals, the largest is the Joseph N. France General Hospital in Basseterre. There are also 17 health clinics spread across the two islands. The country has no private hospitals, but there are a number of private doctors’ clinics. The St Kitts and Nevis government is an active participant in the Eastern Caribbean Drug Service, which is a regional pooled procurement scheme for importing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. This enables the country to maximise the value of health care services to its citizens through the advantage of collective bulk buying along with neighbouring countries. The country’s pharmaceuticals industry remains largely unregulated, with the exception of dangerous drugs. The most recent act of parliament relating to mental health in St Kitts and Nevis is the Mental Health Act 1956. Health MDGs: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) mature in 2015, but monitoring of progress is ongoing due to the time it takes to collect and analyse data from each country. For St Kitts to achieve its targets for the reduction of child mortality, which form MDG 4, it should have reduced under-five deaths per 1,000 live births to ten and increased measles immunisation to 100 per cent when the 2015 data is analysed. In 2013 under-five mortality stood at ten deaths per 1,000 live births and measles immunisation at 95 per cent. St Kitts and Nevis is well on the way to achieving MDG 4, having achieved the under-five mortality target and being close to achieving a 100 per cent measles immunisation rate. The global MDG 5 target for maternal health is to reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth by threequarters between 1990 and 2015. Part of this goal stipulates that 100 per cent of births must be attended by a skilled health professional. In the period 2007–12 this figure stood at 100 per cent in St Kitts and Nevis, and so this target has been achieved. MDG 6 aims for a reduction in the prevalence of HIV, malaria and other diseases. There has been an overall reduction in estimated TB incidence and estimated mortality (when mortality data excludes cases comorbid with HIV) in the country in the period 1997–2010, although the rate has experienced significant fluctuation throughout this time. The overall incidence and mortality due to the disease is currently above the levels they were in 1990. There is not enough information from international agencies to confirm the country’s progress towards this goal with regard to HIV/AIDS. For definitions, sources and explanations on the Millennium Development Goals see page 314. Universal health coverage A little less than two-fifths of health care in St Kitts and Nevis (39 per cent) was government funded in 2012. The remaining 61 per cent was paid for by patients or funded by other nongovernmental entities, such as private insurers, charities or employers. Total health expenditure constituted 5.9 per cent of GDP in 2012. Expenditure by government amounts to US$324 per capita. Under-five mortality 30 25 20 15 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Under-five mortality per 1,000 live births 2015 MDG 4 target Diabetes Respiratory diseases 244 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 10 Mortality by cause of death (% of all deaths), 2008 Other NCDs Communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional Injuries Cardiovascular diseases Cancer Tuberculosis: Incidence and mortality 1990 2000 2010 Mortality excluding cases comorbid with HIV (per100,000 people) Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people) – including cases comorbid with HIV 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above