Caribbean Wellness Day: “We call on all Guyanese to unite to fight NCDs” – Health Minister

As Guyana joins the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America in observing Caribbean Wellness Day themed: “Power Through Collective Action” with the sub theme “In it together! Building Healthy Communities”, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has charged all Guyanese to join the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDS) by leading healthy lifestyles by making the conscionable change in the way they eat, their level of physical activity and their avoidance of the habits of drinking and smoking.

He also took the opportunity to urge all Guyanese to continue to be safe and safeguard their health by continuing to social distance, practice hand washing, get vaccinated and begin to make changes towards a healthy lifestyle.
The Health Ministry is developing a National Strategic Plan (NSP) for NCDs 2021-2030, in consultation with various stakeholders.
The final plan is expected to be launched in December, whereby it will follow the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) advice to focus on five diseases, namely cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and neurological disease, along with five risk factors, those being tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, and air pollution.
In addition to this, the Health Ministry has embarked on developing a National Mental Health Strategy.
These two strategies will address the NCDs, the risk factors, and use evidence-based interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for approximately 41 million deaths each year, equivalent to 71 per cent of all deaths globally. Each year, more than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 years, die from NCDs; 85 per cent of these “premature” deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries, and 77 per cent of all NCD deaths are in low-and middle-income countries.
A commemoration to the issued 2007 Port-of-Spain Declaration, a response to the epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean, to which the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) signed and declared the second Saturday in September to be “Caribbean Wellness Day”
Guyana has joined the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America in the call for a comprehensive approach to decrease illnesses and deaths due to NCDs.
The Government of Guyana is committed to tackling NCDs and improving the lives of people living with chronic diseases, however, it is also up to the citizens to unite in the fight against NCDs, educate each other on good lifestyle practices, heeding the advice of physicians, using medications correctly and in a timely fashion, and including physical activity and exercise in daily routines.
With the country being in a prolonged pandemic state, the call is even greater to take more caution and seek help to manage chronic disease conditions properly so that even if the COVID-19 virus is contracted, it will not progress to severe disease.