KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Government has set aside more than $4 billion to combat preventable illnesses under its ‘Prevention and Care Management of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Project’.

Details are outlined in the 2025/26 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on February 13 by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams.

The project is geared at contributing to the improvement of the health of the country’s population by strengthening comprehensive policies for the prevention of NCDs, risk factors, and improved access to an updated integrated system.

Targets anticipated over the new fiscal year include the organisation and consolidation of integrated health service networks, the continued construction works on the Spanish Town Hospital to achieve 35 per cent completion, and continued works on the St Jago Park Health Centre.

Also anticipated are the continuation of works on the Greater Portmore Health Centre, and the Old Harbour Health Centre for a 40 per cent completion.

The funds will help in the completion of the designs for four other health centres, improvement to the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, and the commencement of civil works on three health centres.

There will also be support for the complete installation of managed network services at 50 sites, and the commencement of data collection for the Jamaica Lifestyle Survey programme.

Achievements under the project up to December 2024 included corrective works to the St Ann’s Bay Regional, May Pen, Spanish Town and Chapelton Community hospitals; delivery of medical equipment to five health centres; and support for implementation of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, with 12 of 13 sites completed.

– JIS