Jamaica has moved towards universal healthcare within the last decade, with a focus on health system strengthening and improved access to services. MOHW (2019) notes that the no-user-fee policy, introduced in 2008, reversed the policy of fees for hospital care. However, this policy of universal healthcare is currently under review by the government (MOHW, 2019).

Potential barriers to health care include geographical location, such as living in a rural area with limited access to facilities; the ‘macho ’ culture in Jamaica which may discourage men from accessing or utilising health care services (Ministry of Health Jamaica, 2018), as well as a reluctance to seek help if illness may result in losing one’s job, a reluctance to seek help for highly stigmatised illnesses like HIV/AIDS or mental illness, (particularly in rural areas) and poverty, which may cause situations where even free public health care cannot be accessed due to lack of money to cover transport costs, costs for medication or for referral to the private sector (Bourne et al., 2010).

References:

Bourne, P., Denise, E.-S., Paul, T. J., LaGrenade, J., & Charles, C. A. (2010). Public and private health care utilization differences between socioeconomic strata in Jamaica. Patient Related Outcome Measures, 81. https://doi.org/10.2147/prom.s11868

Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW). (2019). Vision for Health 2030: Ten Year Strategic Plan 2019-2030. Available from: https://www.moh.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MOHW-Vision-for-Health-2030-Final.pdf

Ministry of Health Jamaica. (2018). Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey III: Preliminary Findings. Available from: https://www.moh.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Jamaica-Health-and-Lifestyle-Survey-III-2016-2017.pdf