Hugh Reid, managing director of JN Life Insurance and a men’s- health advocate, is warning that Jamaica’s economy could pay a steep price if more men do not begin to take their health seriously. He argues that persistent neglect of routine care and prevention is not just a personal risk, but a national concern with far-reaching economic consequences.

Reid linked men’s health behaviours directly to productivity losses and financial instability, noting that one in three Jamaicans is hypertensive, one in eight is diabetic, and roughly a third of the population is expected to develop a chronic illness during their lifetime.

“The best way to reduce healthcare costs is prevention,” Reid said. “When men affected by non-communicable diseases are hospitalised, or in the worst cases, die, the impact is felt not only by their families but by the wider economy, because many of these men are the primary breadwinners.”