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Jamaica - Background
Area: 10,991 sq km
Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 1.1% (2007 est.)
Population Age <15: 30%
Total Fertlity Rate: 2.1 children born/woman (2007 est.):
GDP Per Capita: $4,600 (2006 est.)
Literacy Rate: 88% (2003 est.)
Poverty Rate: 14.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: 1.5% (2007 est.)
Young people in Jamaica are in a severe crisis. Jamaica’s adolescent pregnancy rate is among the highest in the Caribbean, and Jamaica’s infection rate for HIV/AIDS is highest among youth ages 15-24. In 2004, AIDS was the second leading cause of death for both young men and young women ages 15-24. In addition, young people are confronted daily with increasing crime rates, violence and substance abuse in their schools and communities. PMC conducted research in January 2006 and found that 80% of Jamaican youth have witnessed a murder by their 11th birthday.
Gang violence, fueled by the drug trade, is a particularly serious problem in Jamaica. The country is a transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe. In addition, narcotics traffickers from Colombia favor Jamaica for conducting illegal financial transactions. Jamaica is also a source country for trafficking in men, women, and children for labor or sexual exploitation. The drug violence and other prevalent criminal elements make it especially hard to reach the youth of Jamaica.
