Guyana’s unprecedented economic growth must translate into measurable improvements in the health and quality of life of its people, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said as the country observes Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The statement was read by Dr. Karen Cummings, a physician, former parliamentarian and former minister under the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration.
Under the theme “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters,” APNU said Breast Cancer Awareness Month should go beyond awareness campaigns and prompt a broader examination of Guyana’s health outcomes.
“We believe this month should also prompt us to ask a big question. As Guyana earns more from oil, are Guyanese becoming healthier and living longer, and better?”
APNU cited World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates placing Guyana’s five-year breast cancer survival rate for women diagnosed between 2017 and 2021 at 60–69 percent, compared with a global median of 77.8 percent and 88.5 percent across the Americas.
The partnership said survival depends on early detection, timely diagnosis, access to treatment, availability of surgery, radiotherapy and medicines, completion of treatment and quality follow-up care.
“The numbers have indicated that Breast Cancer Awareness Month cannot only be about wearing pink and telling women to examine themselves. We must look at the entire system from detection to diagnosis, treatment, and survival.”
APNU called for greater transparency on screening rates, the stage at which breast cancer is diagnosed, waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, and overall survival.
The partnership said these questions have become more pressing as Guyana’s economy has expanded dramatically since the start of commercial oil production.
World Bank data show Guyana’s GDP per capita reached approximately US$32,400 in 2025.
“We cannot continue comparing Guyana only with the Guyana we were when we had no oil. We must start by asking how our people are doing compared with countries that now have significantly less economic resources per person than we do.”
APNU pointed to life expectancy as another measure of the gap between economic growth and human development.
The party said a Guyanese can expect to live approximately 70 years, compared with about 76 years in Barbados, 74 years in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, and approximately 72 years in Jamaica.
“Hence, the issue that is being raised here is the life expectancy of our citizens. Our economy has been transformed much faster than some of the basic indicators of the lives of our people.”
APNU also cited a 2019 PAHO estimate that a 30-year-old Guyanese had a 29.2 percent probability of dying before age 70 from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease, compared with approximately 14 percent across the Americas.
The party questioned whether increased health spending is producing sufficient improvements in outcomes. Guyana’s 2026 budget allocates approximately G$161.1 billion to health from a total budget of about G$1.558 trillion.
“But we also must ask: What outcomes are we getting from the money? Are we getting value for money?”
APNU is proposing an annual Guyana Human Development Scorecard to track indicators such as breast cancer survival, life expectancy and other health outcomes.
“It should tell the country, in simple language, where we stand on breast cancer survival, among many other development metrics. It should show where we were in 2015, where we are today, where we need to be by 2030, and how we compare with the Caribbean and the wider world.”
The partnership also called for measurable national targets for cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment waiting times and survival, alongside stronger diagnostic, pathology, surgical and radiotherapy services.
It said access to those services must extend beyond Georgetown to communities along the coast and in the hinterland.
APNU said the ultimate measure of Guyana’s transformation should not simply be oil production, GDP growth or government expenditure, but whether citizens are healthier and living longer.
“Success for Guyanese will be when Guyanese enjoy optimum health, enjoy longevity, add life to years and years to life and are living healthier, longer, and better lives.”
