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Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

Saint Lucia KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1979 Population: 182,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 1.1% p.a. 1990–2013 GNI p.c.: US$7,090 (2013) UN HDI 2014: World ranking 97 Life expectancy: 75 years (2013) Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 15 (2013) Largest contribution to mortality: Cardiovascular diseases Government health expenditure: 5% of GDP (2012) General information Saint Lucia is part of the Windward Islands group, which form an arc jutting out from the Eastern Caribbean into the Atlantic. It lies south of Dominica and north of Barbados. Climate: The hot tropical climate is moderated all year round by the north-east trade winds. The dry season is January–April, the rainy season May–November. Environment: The most significant environmental issues are deforestation and soil erosion, particularly in the north of the island. Population: 182,000 (2013); 18 per cent of people live in urban areas. The population growth rate stood at 1.2 per cent p.a. between the years 1990 and 2013. In 2013 the birth rate was 15 per 1,000 people (41 in 1970) and life expectancy was 75 years (64 in 1970). Saint Lucia’s population is mostly of mixed African and European descent. Economy: Saint Lucia is classified as an upper-middle-income economy by the World Bank. Health Child and maternal health: Infant mortality in Saint Lucia was 13 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, with an under-five mortality rate of 15 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. There has been a decline in the under-five mortality rate since 1990. Although this decline is encouraging, the under-five mortality rate is not yet in line with the country’s target of eight deaths per 1,000 live births, as defined by Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4). In 2012 the three most prominent known causes of death for children below the age of five years were congenital anomalies (32 per cent), acute respiratory infections (18 per cent) and injuries (five per cent). Other diseases contributed 46 per cent to death in children below the age of five years. In 2013 the adjusted maternal mortality ratio in Saint Lucia was estimated at 34 deaths per 100,000 live births by UN agencies and the World Bank. Burden of disease: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for an estimated 78 per cent of all mortality in Saint Lucia in 2008. The most prevalent NCDs in Saint Lucia are cardiovascular diseases, which accounted for 33 per cent of total deaths across all age groups in 2008. Cancer, diabetes and noncommunicable variants of respiratory diseases contributed 17 per cent, 12 per cent and five per cent to total mortality, respectively (2008). Communicable diseases along with maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions accounted for an estimated 13 per cent of all mortality in 2008. A government paper on HIV/AIDS reported a cumulative 879 HIV cases (338 of which resulted in death) in the period 1985–2001. Saint Lucia is a non-endemic country for malaria. There has been a significant overall reduction in estimated incidence of and a slight overall reduction in estimated mortality (when mortality data excludes cases co-morbid with HIV) from tuberculosis (TB) since 1990. The most commonly diagnosed mental illness among inpatients in Saint Lucia is schizophrenia, followed by psychosis related to substance misuse (drugs and alcohol). Health systems: In 2012 government expenditure on health was five per cent of GDP, equivalent to US$307 per capita. In the most recent survey, conducted between 1997 and 2010, there were 47 246 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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