NCDs still the top killer in Caribbean
Published:Wednesday | October 25, 2023 | 12:08 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
Health professionals from the Caribbean, who are meeting for the second day of the regional consultation on the framework for the Caribbean Moves initiative, have been warned that their deliberations and consultations must result in a roadmap to stop the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“This is one of the shared challenges the region faces and is one of the problems that does not adhere to any one border of boundary and only through regional collaboration can we effectively address them,” Dr Heather Armstrong, head of the Chronic Disease and Injury Department of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), told yesterday’s opening session at Talk of The Town, Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Director of the Human Development CARICOM Secretariat Helen Royer painted a damning picture of the enormity of the problem, referencing the 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs which comprises 15 mandates monitored by 26 indicators reflecting commitments to action in key areas, including risk factor reduction and health promotion; improving quality of care; the development of appropriate legislative frameworks and the establishment of NCD commissions or similar entities to provide an “all of society” response to NCD prevention and control efforts.
BOLD INITIATIVE
The Declaration was hailed as a bold initiative by Caribbean leaders which proved to be a critical catalyst, prompting countries in other regions to take stock and ultimately resulting in the 2011 United Nations High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases.
Royer called attention to the fact that, despite these achievements, NCDs continue to be the leading cause of death in the region, accounting for more than 70 per cent of all deaths.
“Most of these deaths occur prematurely, that is, in persons between the ages of 30 and 70 years old. At the same time, the incidents of high blood pressure, diabetes are 25 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, and still rising. Caribbean countries have also recorded increasing levels of obesity – more than 20 per cent and overweight more than 60 per cent in both adults and children. The consequences of NCDS on Caribbean countries are significant and multifaceted, as reflected in increased mortality rates and reduced quality of life for affected individuals, but also places an economic burden on countries that affect health systems and national budgets for decreased healthcare expenditures and lost productivity,” she warned.
Royer further advised that addressing these consequences requires comprehensive strategies that target risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles, while empowering individuals and communities to take control of their health and make informed choices.
Caribbean Moves is being modelled off Jamaica Moves, a national campaign launched in 2016 by Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton to spur Jamaicans to become active.
That decision was informed by a health and lifestyle survey which showed then that nearly half of Jamaicans were classified as having low levels of physical activity, and which had led to an epidemic of obesity. Tufton pointed out then that many non-communicable diseases were directly related to physical inactivity, noting that between 21 and 25 per cent of breast and colon cancers were directly linked to the lifestyle patients, with 27 per cent of diabetes and 30 per cent of heart diseases also directly linked to lifestyle choices.