St Vincent and the Grenadines KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1979 Population: 109,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 2.5% p.a. 1990–2013 GNI p.c.: US$6,580 (2013) UN HDI 2014: World ranking 91 Life expectancy: 72 years (2013) Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 19 (2013) Largest contribution to mortality: Cardiovascular diseases Government health expenditure: 4.3% of GDP (2013) General information St Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the Windward Island countries of the Eastern Caribbean, lies near the southern end of the Caribbean chain, about 97 km north of Grenada. The country comprises six parishes, one of which is the Grenadines. Climate: Tropical, moderated by trade winds in June/July. The dry season is January–May, the rainy season May/June–September. There is significantly heavier rainfall in the mountainous interior. Tropical storms and hurricanes may occur June–November. Environment: The most significant environmental issue is pollution of coasts and coastal waters by discharges from yachts and from industrial plants on shore. Population: 109,000 (2013); 50 per cent of people live in urban areas. The population growth rate stood at 0.1 per cent p.a. between the years of 1990 and 2013, depressed over this period by emigration. In 2013 the birth rate was 16 per 1,000 people (40 in 1970) and life expectancy was 72 years (63 in 1970). The population is mostly of African or mixed descent, with Indian, European and Carib minorities. Economy: St Vincent and the Grenadines is classified as an uppermiddle income economy by the World Bank. Health Child and maternal health: Infant mortality in St Vincent and the Grenadines was 17 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, with an under-five mortality rate of 19 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. In the period 1990–94 there was an initial decline in under-five mortality and, since 1994, the rate has been slowly and consistently in decline. The under-five mortality in St Vincent and the Grenadines 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 2010 the greatest known cause of mortality for children under five years was prematurity, resulting in 37 per cent of deaths. Other contributory causes were intrapartum-related complications (12 per cent), congenital anomalies (11 per cent), injuries (six per cent), acute respiratory infections (two per cent), neonatal sepsis (two per cent) and HIV/AIDS (one per cent). In 2013 the adjusted maternal mortality ratio in St Vincent and the Grenadines was 45 deaths per 100,000 live births (UN agencies and the World Bank). The country has virtually achieved universal maternal health care. Burden of disease: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for an estimated 77 per cent of all mortality in St Vincent and the Grenadines in 2008. The most prevalent NCDs in St Vincent and the Grenadines are cardiovascular diseases, which accounted for 39 per cent of total deaths across all age groups in 2008. Cancer, non-communicable variants of respiratory diseases and diabetes contributed 15 per cent, three per cent and seven per cent to total mortality, respectively (2008). Communicable diseases along with maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions in St Vincent and the Grenadines accounted for an estimated 15 per cent of all mortality in 2008. A government paper on HIV/AIDS reported a cumulative incidence Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 249
Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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