SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
40
SUSTAINING GROWTH, SECURING PROSPERITY
CHAPTER 3: NATIONAL SOCIAL SITUATION
have resulted in the achievement of 70 tonnes of
dairy goat production,with a soon to be achieved
target of 80 tonnes in 2015. Similar innovations
have been implemented in the Dairy, Cocoa,
Coconut, Apiculture, and Rice sectors and are
showing promising results.
3.4 HEALTH CARE SERVICES
AND HOSPITALS
The GoRTT recognises the need to expand
healthcare delivery and promote healthy
lifestyles as a means to enhancing the well-
being of the citizens of the country. The Ministry
of Health (MOH) is the national authority
responsible for the management of the health
system in Trinidad and Tobago. The Ministry
leads and directs the sector by focusing
on policy making; planning; assessing the
population’s health needs; disbursing funding
for delivery of health services; regulating the
sector; and ensuring that private and public
providers deliver health services in accordance
with internationally accepted standards. In an
effort to transform the sector to deliver first
class healthcare, the MOH completed its Five
Year Strategic Plan 2012-2016.
Twelve Core Strategic Priorities were identified
in the plan:
Core Strategic Priorities
i. Prevention, Care and Treatment of Chronic
Non-Communicable Diseases;
ii. Prevention,
Care
and
Treatment
of
Communicable Diseases;
iii. Maternal and Child Health;
iv. Mental Health andWellness;
v. Health Human Resource Planning and
Development;
vi. ICT Integration in the Health Sector;
vii. Continuous
Improvement
of
the
Management of the Health Sector;
viii.Continuous Improvement of Health Services
Delivery;
ix. Health Infrastructure Development and
Facilities Management;
x. Establishment of a Schema for Long Term
Health Sector Financing;
xi Strengthening
Health
Promotion
and
Education;
xii. Strengthening the Policy and Legislative
Framework.
The following achievements were gained by the
MOH in the area of secondary and tertiary care:
1. H
EALTH
C
ARE
, W
ELLNESS
AND
L
IFESTYLES
A. Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases
(CNCDs)
Chronic Non Communicable Disease mortality
continues to be a challenge for the health
sector. CNCDs are the leading cause of death
and account for over 60% of deaths annually
in Trinidad & Tobago. Expenditure on CNCDs
has also been increasing. Public expenditure
on drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension
was TT$34 million in 2004; TT$121.8 million
in 2009. Currently, the figures approximates
TT$400 million. CNCDs, however, are highly
preventable as risk includes behavioural, social
and environmental factors. In order, to impact
the growing epidemic, the MOH implemented
a number of initiatives designed to facilitate
prevention, control and management of chronic
lifestyle diseases. Some of these measures
include:
The Conduct of a nationwide Chronic Non
Communicable Disease Risk Factor Survey,
which indicated the following findings:
• A large proportion of the population already
possess risk factors for developing chronic
diseases;
• 55.5% of the population over 15 years are
overweight or obese;
• 25% of school aged children between 5 – 18
years are overweight or obese;
