A fresh data pull from the Ministry of Health & Wellness shows that Jamaica’s Know Your Numbers initiative is uncovering trouble in plain sight: 36 per cent of nearly 290,000 NCD screenings have returned abnormal results since the campaign began.
Breakdown of the testing blitz so far (to end-April):
| Screening Type | Tests Performed | Key Take-away |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure | 103,817 | Hypertension remains a silent empire. |
| Blood Glucose | 82,682 | Diabetes risk lurking for thousands. |
| Cholesterol | 35,178 | Lipid levels trending the wrong way. |
| Body-Mass Index | 67,573 | Obesity continues its climb. |
That’s 289,430 checks in total—105,228 ringing alarm bells.
Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton used Tuesday’s Sectoral Debate to press home one point: “More Jamaicans must step up and get screened.” The ministry’s playbook for the rest of 2025 folds routine NCD testing into every primary-care visit, linking each life stage to targeted education.
“By embedding ‘Know Your Numbers’ in every health centre visit, we raise national health literacy and empower smarter choices. The course is set—we stay on it,” Tufton told Parliament.
Expect the screening caravan to roll through every parish in the months ahead, as Jamaica moves from reactive treatment to proactive prevention—because in this game, the only winning number is the one you already know.
