Guyana’s life expectancy increasing; maternal, child mortality falling – President Ali

Last Updated on Sunday, 26 May 2024, 11:15 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali addressing Guyana’s 58th Independence Flag Raising Ceremony in Linden.

Guyanese are living longer and fewer mothers and children are dying, President Irfaan Ali announced Saturday night at a flag-raising ceremony held in Linden to usher in Guyana’s 58th Independence anniversary.

He said that from 2020 to now, the country’s life expectancy has increased by two years overall to 70 in males, and 74 for females. Dr Ali said government’s new target is to increase overall life expectancy to 72 years by 2025 and 75 years by 2030.

“That is as a result of the investment we are making in the healthcare system,” the Guyanese leader said at the event that was attended by government ministers, officials and residents of Region 10. The opposition municipal and regional councils boycotted the event, saying they were not consulted and involved by central government in planning the event in the People’s National Congress Reform stronghold.

The President credited government’s investment in the healthcare system in the reduction in child mortality to 13 in every 1000 births compared to 19 in every 1,000 births in 2019. “This is testimony, this is qualitative analysis and qualitative examples of how the policies and expenditure of the government are working to make the lives of Guyanese better,” he said.

In the area of maternal mortality, Dr Ali said that was at “the lowest it has ever been in the history of our country”; the figure now being 96 per 10,000 deliveries in contrast to 170 for 10,000 in 2017.

Turning to other public health sector statistics, the President said “we have completed, for the first time, 55 knee and hip replacements. In that regard, he said government planned to increase the figure to 100 per year.

He said government also intended to increase access to free CT scans at other healthcare facilities; the Georgetown Public Hospital is already doing an average of 1,000 CT scans monthly.