Challenges for health and tourism in Jamaica.

Jamaica is an island nation located almost at the center of the Caribbean Sea, approximately 150 km south of Cuba and 160 km west of Haiti, its two nearest neighboring countries. It is the third largest island of the Caribbean and the largest of the English-speaking ones. Its surface area is 11,424 km2,1 and it has a population of approximately 2.7 million. It is dependent on tourism,which contributes 45% of its foreign exchange earnings and 23.5% of gross domestic product annually.2 This article discusses health risks facing visitors to Jamaica and the challenges posed through tourism growth.