Jamaica: Macro-Socio-Economic and Environmental Assessment of ...

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Public provisioning in the area of primary and secondary care is of critical importance to maintaining an optimal health status of the Jamaican population. The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2002 reported that of those persons seeking health care in all of Jamaica, some 52 percent utilized the public sector. Use of the public sector health facilities was high (73 percent) among the poorest quintile, and significant (37 percent) among the wealthiest, as 63 percent of the wealthiest quintile was reported to have used private sector facilities. Of all the persons who sought health care and required hospitalization, almost all were hospitalized in public hospitals. Females tended to utilize the public sector facilities more than their male counterparts. Shortage of expendable income among the female population, who have a lower participation rate in the labour force than their male counterpart and responsibilities for single headed households, may be factors in minimizing their use of private facilities. A small proportion of the Jamaican population (14 percent) possesses health insurance coverage, and in rural areas this proportion is smaller, with an average of approximately 8 percent having coverage. Damage to the health sector therefore could deprive a significant proportion of the Jamaican population, particularly those among the poorest, of the health care that they require. Table 2-8 Damage to Hospitals Arising from Hurricane Ivan by Regional Health Authority ($ million) Regional Health Authority Damage to Structures Damage to Equipment and Supplies Western 5.8 n/a South East 37.8 14.1 Southern 50.0 12.8 North East 5.4 2.3 Total 108.9 29.1 Source: ECLAC, based on figures provided by the Ministry of Health n/a : Not available Indirect losses to the health sector amounted to $ 40.2 million which could be attributable to the response of the health sector challenges brought on by the passing of Hurricane Ivan. Special health education programmes had to be mounted in order to increase knowledge of water safety, to control diarrheal diseases and to encourage proper waste disposal management. The rains associated with Hurricane Ivan led to flooding and the formation of ponds both of which facilitated the breeding of mosquitoes. The resulting deposits of debris along with stagnant water in and around populated areas increased the potential for breeding Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes and the population of rodents and flies. The need for increased disease surveillance is imperative. Table 2-9 presents a summary of damage to the health sector. 21
Table 2-9 Damage and Losses Sustained by the Health Sector ($ million) Item Damage and Losses Imported Component Total Direct Indirect 29.8 Health Centres 85.3 85.3 38.1 Hospitals 108.9 108.9 35.3 Medical Equipment 39.2 39.2 0.3 and Supplies Vaccines Lost 0.3 0.3 Public Education 12.4 12.4 Programme Latrine Replacement 435.5 435.5 152.4 Vector Control 21.8 21.8 Supplement of Folic 1.6 1.6 1.6 Acid Epidemiological 0.4 0.4 Surveillance Vehicles 49.0 49.0 Emergency 0,8 0.8 Operation Centres Environmental Health Sanitation 3.2 Total 758.3 718.2 40.2 257.6 Source: ECLAC, based on information from the Ministry of Health III. PRODUCTIVE SECTORS The productive sectors – including agriculture and livestock, food processing, mining, commerce and tourism – sustained significant damage and losses, of a similar magnitude as the social sectors and activities. The disaster impact on each of the productive sectors is described below. 1. Agriculture and livestock While agriculture and livestock production had grown by a sizable 5.7 percent in 2003 over the previous year’s, below normal rainfall had in fact produced a decline in the sector’s gross domestic production in the first half of the present year. This reduction was due to the presence of dry conditions in the central and western parishes, which is where crops for domestic consumption are produced and experienced a drop of around 6.5percent. Traditional agricultural exports, however, had shown a vigorous growth in the first half of 2004, when a 7.7percent increase in gross output was registered 6 , recuperating from a steady decline in the past ten years. Hurricane Ivan brought about strong winds, heavy rainfall and floods that affected the assets and production of the agriculture and livestock sector. Winds broke, bent and uprooted plants and trees; excessive humidity and water logging of soils also affected crops and plantations; winds and floods destroyed or damaged the sector’s infrastructure. 22
Page 1 and 2: JAMAICA Macro-Socio-Economic and En
Page 3 and 4: I. INTRODUCTION The Meteorological
Page 5 and 6: Significant storm surges also impac
Page 7 and 8: Table 2: Comparison of Highest One-
Page 9 and 10: the total population or some 369 68
Page 11 and 12: unable to make the most of the stre
Page 13: The housing stock is relatively stu
Page 19 and 20: damage. Eight of the parishes had 3
Page 21: Table 2-6 Damage and losses sustain
Page 25 and 26: 8,000 persons will be out of work f
Page 27 and 28: It is estimated that the coffee pro
Page 29 and 30: each the processing plants and dome
Page 31 and 32: 4. Commerce sector The Food, Bevera
Page 33 and 34: electricity generation rose in the
Page 35 and 36: critical facilities. The high sedim
Page 37 and 38: National Works Agency (NWA) and by
Page 39 and 40: 3. Telecommunications The Telecommu
Page 41 and 42: Erosion within the coastal zone of
Page 43 and 44: Portland Cottage experienced the mo
Page 45 and 46: Table 5-2 Summary of damages to the
Page 47 and 48: TABLE 5-1: Recovery Time and Cost E
Page 49 and 50: VI. SUMMARY OF OVERALL DAMAGE AND L
Page 51 and 52: 50 Based on the above information i
Page 53 and 54: 52 VII. MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF TH
Page 55 and 56: 54 2. Economic policy a) Fiscal pol
Page 57 and 58: 56 The performance of Agriculture (
Page 59 and 60: 58 bond loan, which caused a reduct
Page 61 and 62: 60 The performance of Manufacturing
Page 63 and 64: 62 Part of the wage-controlled grow
Page 65 and 66: 64 3.2 Prices, wages and employment
Page 67 and 68: 66 However the two most important i
Page 69 and 70: 68 likely as it stands the increase
Page 71 and 72: 70 also have an impact on employmen
Page 73 and 74:
72 accommodations will recover and
Page 75 and 76:
74 The rehabilitation programme foc
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