With Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) fast becoming the leading cause of death in the Region, the
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
Caribbean Community (Caricom) is looking to step up its efforts to tackle the epidemic.
During the recently concluded 37th Meeting of the Heads of Government Conference held in Guyana last week, regional leaders discussed the state of the Region’s health and agreed upon several resolutions to improve the wellbeing of Caribbean people.
Speaking at the closing ceremony on Wednesday last, Chairman of the Conference, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, outlined that health-related issues continue to be of serious concers as they affect the development of the Region.
He pointed out that the rising level of NCDs in the Region remains a disturbing factor even as the 10th anniversary of the historic declaration of ‘Uniting to Fight the NCDs’, which was established in Trinidad and Tobago back in 2007, draws near.
Prime Minister Skerrit recognised that some progress has been made in tackling NCDs but noted those efforts have been uneven. In this regard, the Chairman disclosed that during the two-day meeting, regional heads agreed to address issues such as the banning of smoking in public places, banning the advertisement of potentially harmful foods which specifically targets children and elevating taxes on foods high on sugar, salt and transfat.
NCDs, also known as chronic diseases, are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. In the Americas, some 4.5 million people die each year from NCDs, representing more than 80 per cent of all deaths, of which 36 per cent are premature, that is, occurring in people under age 70. If no action is taken, deaths and disabilities from this silent epidemic are expected to increase, along with the burden they place on health systems and national economies.
Most deaths from NCDs are related to common risk factors, principally tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Exposure to these risk factors can be modified through multisectoral policies and actions. These include policies for universal health coverage and universal social protection, incentives to increase production and availability of healthy foods, educating children about healthy eating and physical activity, and urban planning that promotes public spaces for recreation and physical activity.
They also include legislation and regulations intended to reduce consumption of tobacco, alcohol, salt, sugar and trans fats – measures that are considered NCD “best buys” due to their cost-effectiveness. The global cost of implementing these best buys is estimated at US$11.2 billion, representing an annual investment of only US$1-$3 per person.
During a previous NCD awareness event, Guyana’s Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton had stated that NCDs have a negative impact on State finances.
“We have a situation where we can correct all these early deaths or morbidity by simple means. If we concentrate on simple things like our lifestyle, on our diets, on our use of alcohol and tobacco then we can help our country so much, especially economically in the provision of health care and our own health as well,” he remarked.
On the other hand, the Caricom Heads of Government also discussed and endorsed the “Every Caricom Girl, Every Caricom Women” (ECGECW), which is an initiative intending to address key sexual and reproductive health concerns of girls and women in the Caribbean. The objectives of ECGECW are to reduce teenage pregnancy, prevent cervical cancer and eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV.
“In the latter regard, we have to increase our advocacy efforts in order to ensure we maintain the level of support needed to end the epidemic in the Region. But we must all agree as citizens of the Caribbean Community, that we have a personal responsibility, each of us has a personal responsibility to maintain healthy lifestyles,” the Dominican Prime Minister outlined.
Prime Minister Skerrit further highlighted that the sheer cost of treating those diseases is becoming prohibited for Governments across the Caribbean. On this note, he urged persons in the Region to be more mindful of what they consume as he also underscored the need for daily physical activity.
