One year into office, the National Coalition For Caymanians government has advanced a range of public health reforms centred on prevention, health care oversight and social resilience amid rising chronic disease and emerging infectious threats. While many commitments have moved forward, broader health initiatives remain in development.
In its Strategic Policy Statement 2026-2028, government outlined plans for a more affordable, accessible and prevention-focused health care system built around a National Health Strategy, modernised regulation and national quality standards.
The SPS prioritised chronic disease prevention through initiatives such as the PAHO-backed HEARTS programme, alongside expanded public health, mental health and community wellness efforts, while also emphasising eldercare and protections for vulnerable populations.
Over its first year, government began implementing several of those commitments amid leadership changes, expanded disease surveillance and continued pressure on the public health care system, while officials monitored international outbreaks including measles, Nipah virus, meningitis, hantavirus and, more recently, Ebola.
Locally, public health officials also responded to several unusual disease threats, including a cholera case, multiple whooping cough infections and an avian flu outbreak at a West Bay farm in November 2025.
Strengthening institutions
Health Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks described the past year as one of rapid restructuring following the merger of the former health and environment ministries into the new Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability.
As part of that shift, government transferred the Public Health Unit from the Health Services Authority to the ministry itself.
“I am incredibly proud of the work that this government has delivered in just 12 months,” Ebanks-Wilks said in the government’s first-year anniversary update.
She also identified amendments to the Health Insurance Act as one of the ministry’s “top wins” after Parliament approved reforms aimed at modernising eligibility assessments for government-supported health care.
During Finance Committee last November, Finance Minister Rolston Anglin said a cross-party committee was to be set up to tackle the high cost of health insurance – as well as property insurance – in Cayman. However, the government has made no further substantial public statements about the make-up of that committee or its progress.
As part of efforts to strengthen public health care institutions, government moved to address longstanding issues within the Health Services Authority, commissioning an independent KPMG review of its governance, leadership and operations while appointing a new HSA board to strengthen oversight and accountability.
In October, the Department of Health Regulatory Services launched a digital practitioner renewal portal, replacing paper-based licensing with online renewals and payments.
Work also continued on a national cancer policy and broader health care legislative reforms, while oversight of the School of Nursing was transferred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Protection against diseases
On chronic disease prevention, the ministry continued implementing the PAHO-backed HEARTS initiative to standardise treatment for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, while launching the ‘Move It Cayman’ campaign to promote physical activity and reduce chronic illness risk.
Government also expanded infectious disease surveillance, adding 30 conditions to the national notifiable disease list and bringing the total number of reportable illnesses to 67.
Government also introduced a new national immunisation framework extending vaccine coverage from pregnancy through adolescence, expanded HPV vaccination outreach through public-private partnerships and continued mosquito surveillance and vector control operations through the Mosquito Research and Control Unit.
Health care access for Sister Islands residents also advanced through continued development of the planned HOPE Oncology and Dialysis Centre on Cayman Brac.
Mental health
Mental health, another key SPS priority area, also saw increased focus over the past year. Government said it has expanded efforts around prevention, early intervention and community-based care, including initiatives aimed at improving mental health support for young people and strengthening oversight of national programmes.
In July 2025, the Health Services Authority opened a dedicated adolescent behavioural health inpatient wing as an interim measure to address gaps in youth mental health care and improve safety for patients requiring acute intervention.
That same month, government also approved the Poinciana Mental Health Advisory Council to strengthen governance and oversight at the East End residential rehabilitation facility that opened late last year.
In the development stages
Several major health care reforms outlined in the SPS remain in development.
Government said work is continuing on a National Health Strategy aimed at improving health care access, strengthening system performance and using data-driven planning to address national health risks. A National Mental Health Policy and broader health care reforms are also still being developed.
Among the government’s upcoming priorities is the proposed Health Practice Act (2026 Revision), that will bring changes to the legislative framework governing health care practitioners and facilities in the Cayman Islands.
Compass Media will continue its coverage of the NCFC administration’s first year in office and key national issues across all platforms.
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