Celebrate Health of Caribbean Africa (CHoCA): Priority Markets

Priority Markets for NCD Intervention – CHoCA Focus

This table identifies the top English-speaking African and Caribbean countries with high NCD burden. It highlights current impact, projected impact if trends continue, and potential benefits of participation through CHoCA under the Facilitator MOU.

Rank	Country / Market	Key NCD Stats	Current Impact	Projected Impact if Unchanged	Likely Impact if They Roll with CHoCA
1	Lesotho	Highest probability of premature mortality, high CVD & chronic respiratory disease rates	Elevated early deaths, significant economic and health system burden	Without intervention, continued high mortality and healthcare costs	CHoCA adoption reduces premature deaths, strengthens preventive care, builds Ministry of Health capacity
2	Eswatini	High NCD mortality, significant diabetes & CVD prevalence	Healthcare system strained, premature mortality high	Escalating chronic disease burden	Early program implementation lowers NCD incidence and hospitalizations
3	Central African Republic	Elevated CVD and diabetes rates, limited health infrastructure	High preventable mortality, low access to care	NCD burden may rise sharply without intervention	Facilitator engagement improves access to preventive programs and government collaboration
4	Mozambique	Rising diabetes and CVD prevalence, moderate obesity	Urban-rural disparities, high healthcare strain	Chronic disease prevalence will increase	Program adoption improves early detection, reduces preventable deaths
5	Ghana	Diabetes 6%, obesity 12%, hypertension 30%	Urban NCDs rising, economic impact	Continued chronic disease escalation	Facilitator engagement secures 1,500+ participants, ROI example: \$72,125
6	Zimbabwe	High CVD & diabetes burden	Workforce loss, hospital strain	Premature mortality will continue to rise	Structured CHoCA interventions reduce preventable deaths and improve public health
7	Nigeria	Obesity 11%, diabetes 5%, hypertension 30%	Urban-rural disparities, rising NCD burden	Continued growth in chronic disease prevalence	Facilitator-led programs improve awareness, reduce long-term morbidity
8	Uganda	Moderate NCD prevalence, emerging urban health risks	Limited preventive care, rising mortality	Without intervention, NCD burden rises	Early intervention reduces premature mortality and healthcare costs
9	Tanzania	Obesity 9%, diabetes 3%, rising CVD	Healthcare resources stretched	NCD prevalence projected to increase	Community health programs improve outcomes, reduce hospital strain
10	Kenya	Obesity 10%, diabetes 4%, urban-rural disparities	Early-stage urban NCD rise	Long-term burden on health system	Facilitator engagement reduces preventable disease and strengthens health systems
11	Guyana	Obesity 28%, diabetes 11%, high CVD	Rising healthcare costs, premature deaths	Chronic disease burden expected to rise	1,000+ participants: improved health outcomes, stronger Ministry of Health engagement
12	Haiti	Limited data, high malnutrition + emerging NCD risk	Weak health infrastructure, rising urban NCDs	NCDs will increasingly burden healthcare	Facilitator engagement scales preventive programs effectively
13	Belize	Obesity 25%, diabetes 9%, CVD risk high	High premature mortality and healthcare expenditure	NCD incidence may rise further	Structured CHoCA interventions improve quality of life and reduce hospitalizations
14	Suriname	Obesity 27%, diabetes 10%, hypertension 32%	Urban-rural disparities, limited NCD prevention	Escalating chronic illness rates	Program adoption improves preventive care, reduces hospitalization, strengthens Ministry of Health collaboration
15	Trinidad & Tobago	Diabetes 10%, hypertension 31%	NCDs contribute to workforce loss and hospital strain	Rising long-term healthcare costs	Early intervention reduces disease incidence, improves productivity
16	Dominica	Obesity 24%, diabetes 9%, CVD risk	Limited preventive programs	Rising NCD prevalence	Community-based programs improve quality of life and reduce preventable deaths
17	Barbados	Obesity 24%, diabetes 9%	High CVD risk, limited lifestyle programs	Increasing chronic disease prevalence	Adoption improves population health, reduces hospitalization
18	Jamaica	Obesity 25%, diabetes 9%, stroke prevalence high	High premature mortality and economic loss	Continued NCD rise	Improved wellness culture and reduced preventable deaths
19	Saint Lucia	Moderate NCD burden, emerging obesity and diabetes	Health system moderately strained	Without intervention, burden rises	CHoCA programs reduce preventable mortality and improve health outcomes
20	Saint Vincent & Grenadines	Rising obesity & diabetes prevalence	Limited preventive care, premature mortality	Increasing NCD impact	Early intervention improves population wellness, lowers healthcare burden

Here is a table including emails and phone numbers for top health ministry officials across the 20 priority English-speaking African and Caribbean CHoCA markets, as of 2025:

#	Country	Health Dept. Head	Position	Phone	Email(s) / Notes
1	Lesotho	Dr. Pholile Sekhonyana	Minister of Health	+266 2231 2836	[email protected]; website: health.gov.ls
2	Eswatini	Senator Lizzy Nkosi	Minister of Health	+268 2404 2311	No direct email publicly listed; use gov.sz contact forms
3	Central African Republic	Dr. Pierre Somsé	Minister of Health & Pop.	+236 2161 3181	No direct email; contact via government or WHO channels recommended
4	Mozambique	Dr. Armindo Tiago	Minister of Health	+258 21 324111	No direct email publicly listed; official portal or WHO recommended
5	Ghana	Hon. Bernard Okoe-Boye, MD	Minister of Health	+233 302 665651	[email protected]; [email protected]
6	Zimbabwe	Dr. Douglas Mombeshora	Minister of Health & Child	+263 242 798555	[email protected]
7	Nigeria	Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate	Coordinating Minister	+234 09 234 1683	[email protected]; [email protected]
8	Uganda	Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng	Minister of Health	+256 414 340874	[email protected]; [email protected]
9	Tanzania	Hon. Ummy Mwalimu	Minister of Health	+255 22 2120261	[email protected]
10	Kenya	Hon. Susan Nakhumicha Wafula	Cabinet Secretary	+254 20 2717077	[email protected]; [email protected]
11	Guyana	Dr. Frank Anthony	Minister of Health	+592 227 4986	[email protected]
12	Haiti	Dr. Lauré Adrien (Dir. Gen.)	Director General	+509 2223 7036	No direct email; contact via embassy or WHO
13	Belize	Hon. Kevin Bernard	Minister of Health & Wellness	+501 822 2363	[email protected]
14	Suriname	Drs. Rakesh Gajadhar Sukul	Minister of Health	+597 472220	[email protected]
15	Trinidad & Tobago	Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh	Minister of Health	+1 868 627 0010	[email protected]; [email protected]
16	Dominica	Hon. Dr. Irving McIntyre	Minister of Health	+1 767 448 2401	[email protected]
17	Barbados	Hon. Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott	Minister of Health	+1 246 536 3800	[email protected]
18	Jamaica	Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton	Minister of Health	+1 876 633 8172	[email protected]
19	Saint Lucia	Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste	Minister for Health	+1 758 468 5300	[email protected]
20	Saint Vincent & Grenadines	Hon. St. Clair Prince	Minister of Health	+1 784 456 1173	[email protected]