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Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

C ommo nwe a l t h memb e r c o u n t r i e s rate of HIV of 0.4 per cent across all age groups by the end of 2006 since the advent of the disease. St Vincent and the Grenadines is a non-endemic country for malaria. There was an overall reduction in estimated incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the period 1990–2012 and an overall rise in estimated mortality (when data excludes cases comorbid with HIV) from tuberculosis in the period 1990–2013, from one death per 100,000 to 2.8 deaths. The most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders in St Vincent and the Grenadines are psychiatric disorders relating to substance misuse and schizophrenia. Health systems: In 2012 government expenditure on health was 4.3 per cent of GDP, equivalent to US$279 per capita. In the most recent survey, conducted between 1997 and 2010, there were 75 doctors, and 379 nurses and midwives per 100,000 people. Additionally, in 2012 virtually all births (99 per cent) were attended by qualified health staff and in 2013, 99 per cent of one-year-olds were immunised with one dose of measles. In 2013, 95 per cent of people had access to an improved water source. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment manages planning and policy issues for health care. There are around 40 health centres that facilitate the delivery of primary care. Secondary care is offered at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown and in the six other hospitals in the country. A new wing at Milton Cato, built with the help of funding from the World Pediatrics Partnership and the Mustique Charitable Trust, acts as a centre for paediatric surgery for St Vincent and the Grenadines and other nearby Caribbean nations. Serious medical problems often require air evacuation to the nearest large country with the necessary medical facilities. The government imports pharmaceuticals through the Pool Procurement Service of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (PPS/OECS) enabling it to maximise the value of health care services to its citizens through the advantages of buying in bulk collectively, along with neighbouring countries. The most recent act of parliament relating to mental health in St Vincent and the Grenadines is the Mental Health Act 1991. 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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to achieve its targets for the reduction of child mortality, which form MDG 4, it should have Under-five mortality 25 20 15 10 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Under-five mortality per 1,000 live births 2015 MDG 4 target 80 70 250 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 5 Life expectancy 1980 1990 2000 2013 Life expectancy Life expectancy in years Diabetes Respiratory diseases 60 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 30 25 20 15 10 5 0


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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