Achievements in Jamaica, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands

• EMTCT validation. Jamaica received WHO validation for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis as a major public health threat. With this achievement, Jamaica joins a select group of countries to have received dual elimination status. The validation highlights the strength of Jamaica’s public health system and reflects the country’s long-standing commitment to protecting the health and rights of women, children, and families.
• Assessment of essential public health functions. Under the guidance of a technical working group, an assessment and strengthening of the essential public health functions in Jamaica was conducted. Based on these results, an action plan for strengthening these functions will be developed, with the results informing the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s path to strengthen its stewardship capacity.
• Health facilities upgraded. Jamaica completed the upgrading of 12 primary health care facilities under the Smart or Strengthening Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project in 2024, with each becoming safer, greener, and more resilient to natural disasters and climate change. Four of the facilities were transformed to meet the gold-standard criteria for safety and greening, enabling effective functioning before, during, and after disasters, including up to Category 3 hurricanes.
• International Health Regulations (IHR) voluntary external and immunization. Using the IHR State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report tool and orientations for the review of the IHR core capacities, Jamaica initiated a self-assessment by a multidisciplinary, multisectoral IHR Stakeholders Advisory Group, followed by the use of the PAHO Performance Monitoring Tool for the National Expanded Program on Immunization.
• Hurricane Beryl response. In response to Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 hurricane that swept across the Caribbean to Jamaica, PAHO’s coordinated response included assessing the operational status of health services, reviewing environmental health services (focusing on water quality, food safety, and vector control), reinforcing mental health and psychosocial support services, and completing a detailed damage assessment of recently renovated primary health care centers.

• Strengthening border health preparedness. The Cayman Islands strengthened port health preparedness through a PAHO-supported workshop. This multisectoral initiative marked a critical step toward safeguarding public health amid rising natural hazards and pandemic threats. The workshop also laid the foundation for more integrated and resilient responses, with PAHO continuing to support national efforts to enhance readiness and coordination.
• Decline in road traffic deaths. The National Road Safety Council documented substantive improvements in road safety, with road crash deaths falling below 400 for the first time in five years and representing a seven-year low. The progress marks a one-year, 14% decrease in road fatalities. PAHO is collaborating with the National Road Safety Council to implement a United Nations Road Safety Fund initiative focused on a safe systems approach for safer roads in Jamaica. Through this initiative, among other efforts, 2024 saw the completion of an emergency and critical care systems assessment and the subsequent development of a corresponding road map.
• Influencing behavioral change. PAHO initiated research to improve nutrition-related behaviors among school children, using a behavioral insights framework – define, diagnose, design, implement, and evaluate. The initiative supports the national school nutrition policy and efforts to prevent noncommunicable diseases by identifying the factors that shape food choices in schools. Through a structured, evidence-based approach, it aims to design practical, context-specific interventions that promote healthier eating habits and encourage sustainable behavior change among students.
• HEARTS in Bermuda. In response to the high rates of illness and death due to cardiovascular diseases, the HEARTS model of care for cardiovascular risk management was launched in 2023 at the Hamilton Health Centre. Through this effort, patients received medications free of charge, utilizing a standardized treatment protocol. Targeting the uninsured and underinsured, this initiative aligns with the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s declaration that universal health care must be both Bermuda’s vision and mission.