KINGSTON, Jamaica. Tuesday, June 10, 2025: Working collaboratively with community and private sector stakeholders, the Know Your Numbers programme of the Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to make inroads with the health screening of Jamaicans across the island.
“As at the end of April this year, under the Know Your Numbers programme, 289,430 tests have been conducted and approximately 72,357 persons have been screened,” Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, MP, told Parliament, during his Sectoral Presentation on Tuesday (June 10, 2025).
Know Your Numbers is a national initiative aimed at empowering Jamaicans to take control of their health by monitoring key risk factors for non-communicable diseases and to do the necessary health checks, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body mass index in order to get and remain in the know about their health.
The initiative was announced by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton during his sectoral presentation in May of 2023.
Of the number of tests conducted, 103,817 were for Blood Pressure, 82,682 for Blood Glucose, 35,178 for Cholesterol, and 67,573 for Body Mass Index.
“It is instructive to note that from the 289,430 tests conducted, 105,228 or 36% reported abnormal test results,” the Minister said.
The coming year is to see the Ministry continuing to screen islandwide, as part of its primary health care reform, which champions routine screening and delivery of health education messages according to the life stage, at every doctor’s visit.
“This way, we integrate Know Your Numbers into the health centre, thereby enabling the increase in the health literacy of the population for better decision making. The Government has prioritised screening and will continue to expand under our new life stage approach,” Dr. Tufton said.