Top insurance and public health leaders in Jamaica are sounding the alarm over a pervasive cultural trend of men avoiding routine preventive care, warning that the inaction carries severe personal, familial, and national economic consequences that will cost the country tens of billions of dollars in coming decades if left unaddressed.
Hugh Reid, managing director of JN Life Insurance and a longstanding men’s health advocate, argues that widespread neglect of regular check-ups and proactive health management is not just a personal health risk—it is a pressing public policy issue that ripples through the entire Jamaican economy. Reid connects low health engagement among men to widespread productivity losses, strained public healthcare infrastructure, and cascaling financial instability for households and the nation alike.
Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol are already widespread across Jamaica, with public health data showing one in three Jamaicans lives with hypertension, one in eight has diabetes, and roughly one third of the population will develop a chronic illness over their lifetime. These conditions are primarily driven by modifiable lifestyle factors such as nutrient-poor diets, sedentary behavior, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption, alongside genetic and age-related risk factors. Ministry of Health and Wellness statistics show 31% of Jamaican men live with hypertension, 14% are obese, and 9% have a confirmed diabetes diagnosis. While these prevalence rates are slightly lower than those recorded among Jamaican women, men’s life expectancy is four years shorter on average, a gap public health experts attribute directly to far lower engagement with preventive care services.
“These chronic illnesses don’t just put unnecessary strain on our national healthcare system—they can erase decades of hard-earned life savings overnight,” Reid explained. “Too many men fail to recognize that every health choice they make impacts not just their own well-being, but the long-term financial security of their families and the entire country.”
Reid pointed to longstanding data confirming the trend of delayed care-seeking among Jamaican men. Research from The University of the West Indies shows that 68% of men over the age of 55 had not visited a healthcare provider for a routine check-up in the 12 months prior to the study. Over the same period, 17% of those men were admitted to hospital for preventable conditions, and less than 36% had completed a recommended prostate cancer screening. He also referenced widespread media coverage of preventable hospitalizations for lifestyle-related NCD complications and injury accidents tied to alcohol-impaired driving as further evidence of the crisis, noting that without widespread cultural and behavioral change, the future economic outlook remains grim.
Reid projected that over the next 15 years, NCDs linked to poor preventive care could cut Jamaica’s workforce productivity by as much as JMD 47 billion, while direct medical costs from cardiovascular disease and diabetes alone could top JMD 29.8 billion. “That is a burden our country simply cannot afford to bear,” he emphasized.
Compounding the health crisis is a critical gap in financial preparedness, Reid added: Jamaican men are far less likely to hold life insurance or critical illness coverage than women. At JN Life Insurance, for example, female clients outnumber male clients two to one, a disparity that puts households at extreme risk when the primary breadwinner falls ill or passes away prematurely. “Life insurance is more than just a financial product—it is a safety net that protects families from devastating financial collapse when tragedy strikes,” Reid said.
Backing Reid’s call for urgent action, respected Jamaican physician Dr. Earl Brewster echoed the message that routine preventive screenings are the most effective tool for early detection and successful management of NCDs before they become life-threatening or disabling. “Men need to shift away from the harmful mindset that only seeks care when you are seriously ill, and adopt consistent, proactive health-seeking behaviors,” Dr. Brewster said.
Currently, Jamaican men have a life expectancy of 72 years, compared to 76 years for women. Health risks for men rise sharply once they reach their 40s, and again in their 60s, but small, consistent changes can drive major improvements in long-term outcomes. “Simple steps like maintaining a healthy body weight, staying physically active, and completing an annual preventive check-up can make a meaningful difference in long-term health outcomes,” Dr. Brewster noted.
Dr. Brewster recommends that all adult men complete comprehensive annual health assessments, including cardiovascular screening, blood glucose testing, liver and kidney function panels, thyroid testing, vitamin level checks, and PSA screening for prostate cancer. For men over 50, he additionally advises a colonoscopy every 10 years to screen for colorectal cancer. “These screenings are widely available across Jamaica, and most are covered by existing health insurance plans,” he explained. “Early detection makes all the difference for successful treatment, especially for men already living with chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes.”
Still, Dr. Brewster acknowledged that deep-rooted cultural attitudes remain one of the biggest barriers to increasing preventive care engagement among men. “There’s an old cultural saying around here that you only see a man at a doctor’s office if he’s already extremely sick, or someone had to carry him there,” he said. “We need to shift that outdated mindset. Men must take responsibility for their own health—not just for their own sake, but for their families and the future of our nation.”
