Bahamas

The Islands of The Bahamas• Archipelago: 700 islands

and 2,400 cays &rocks.• Only 30 islands are

inhabited.• Measures: 13,878km

spreading across 259,000km

• Capital is New Providence (Nassau).

CLIMATIC FEATURES

• Tropical and subtropical climate• Dry & wet• Winter season: 60F – 75F• Summer season:78F – 90F• Humidity high (especially in

summer months)• Wind speed 10 knots

(predominately all year round).• Hurricane: June - November

HISTORY ‘Discovered’ : Christopher

Columbus 1492.

Ruled under British Loyalist from 1718- 1973.

• Total population: Approximately 400,000 people.

• Making it 177th most populous country in the world.

• Most of population in capital Nassau of 260, 000 persons.

• Life expectancy: males 60 years old females 72 years old

Ethnic groups: 85% Blacks12% Whites; 3% Hispanic

• Cultures: BahamiansHaitians, Jamaicans,Indians, Chinese, Philippines, others.

• Language: English sometimes use of Bahamian dialect.

Religious denominations

Anglican Baptist

Catholic

Striving for Excellence!!!!

salt aragonite

ECONOMICS

• Main Industries:Banking: GDP 20%Tourism: GDP 60%Export: 10%Other: 10%

Currency: USD 1:1GDP per capita: $20,113.80VAT 7.5%

JUNKANOOJunkanoo: Bahamian festivalBoxing Day: December 26stNew Year Day: January 1st

Large group competition:*music*dance*customs

HEALTH IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

VISION:Optimal level of health and well-being

of all residents in The Bahamas.

MISSION:To ensure the best quality of services for health promotion, health protection and healthcare is accessible to all residents in The Bahamas in order for them to achieve optimal level of health.

AREAS OF RESPONSILITYPrimary healthcare

Secondary healthcareTertiary healthcare

Healthcare in The BahamasThree functional government hospitals:*Princess Margaret Hospital

Nassau*Rand Memorial – Grand

Bahama*Sandilands Rehabilitation & Geriatric Hospital- Nassau

Two private hospital:Doctor’s Hospital – NassauLyford Cay Hospital - Nassau

Public Clinic in The Bahamas

• There are 200 plus public community clinics throughout The Bahamas.• Offers: Ambulatory services Laboratory services

Pharmacy services Specialty services

Medical Services• Laboratory• Pharmacies• Diagnostic Imaging• Hospices• Counseling Centers• Specialty Units:

dialysisheart others

• Rehabilitation• Transportation:

EMSAir Ambulance

Charter Services

Health Services• Surgical• Medical• Emergency• Dental• Ophthalmology• Obstetrics• Gynecological• Pediatrics• Community• Psychiatry• Antenatal• Cardiology• Endocrinology• Others

Bahamas Health Initiatives• The Ministry of Health has decided to implement an even more

holistic approach to helping residents adopt and sustain healthy lifestyles, in order to continue to meet the country’s health needs.

• The Initiative is founded on a well grounded population health approach, and uses collaboration and community team building to foster its aims and objectives.

• The Healthy Lifestyle Secretariat was established, November 2005 to provide administrative coordination of the activities of the Initiative.

OBJECTIVES

• To reduce prevalence of smoking, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating.

• To carry out health promotion and education around the above.• To lobby for the institutionalization of healthy lifestyle practices in

work and organization settings.• To implement monitoring and evaluation of healthy lifestyle

programming nationally.• To support research on behavior modification in the area of health. • To provide policy from a Governmental and Ministry level that

supports healthy lifestyles nationally.

Leading causes of Hospitalizations• Cardiovascular diseases• Strokes• Diabetes• Respiratory infections &

diseases• Cancers• Pregnancy & childbirth• Injuries• Poisoning• Accidents• Musculoskeletal diseases

• Endocrine, metabolic & nutritional diseases.

• Renal disease• Genitourinary diseases

National Health Insurance

• Bahamian healthcare spending today at almost 10 per cent of our $8 billion GDP. That represents some $800 million in total annual spending - including public and private as well as overseas health spending. The private sector accounts for about half of this money, experts say.

• Recommendations: Expected January 1, 2016 Bahamas will adopt a financing system called national health insurance, which pools payments from all residents to pay for universal healthcare. Individuals could still buy private insurance to cover areas ineligible for reimbursement by the public system.

National Health Insurance: 2016