Fresh concerns are being raised about the increased risks of people in Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean developing complications or dying from the COVID-19 virus due to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dean Chambliss, Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) Sub-regional Programme Director, said the issue of NCDs needed to be urgently addressed in the region especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it will take strong policies, laws and a “whole of government and whole of society approach”.
Studies have shown that eight out of ten people in the Caribbean die from NCDs annually. About 40 per cent of NCD deaths occur prematurely in those under 70 years and are potentially preventable.
Chambliss lamented that not only was NCDs the “silent crisis” and “unhealthy diets” having far-reaching consequences on human and socio-economic development of the Caribbean, but they were also causing too many deaths.
“High blood pressure, high [blood] sugar levels and overweight and obesity are the main drivers of this problem causing 47 per cent of all deaths and the loss of 4.6 million years of healthy life in 2019 alone,” he said.
With experts indicating that people with underlying health conditions including diabetes and lung and heart diseases were more at risk of dying from the COVID-19 virus, Chambliss said the issue of NCDs in the region was a serious cause for concern.
“Persons living with NCDs face a greater risk of becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. It is estimated that at least one-third of the Caribbean population is at such higher risk based on the presence of at least one underlying condition,” he said.
Chambliss also expressed concern that the effects of the pandemic itself including job loss and measures being taken to curb the spread of the virus were compounding an already challenging situation.
“The public health measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus including lockdowns and school closures, the disruption of food chains and the pandemic-related economic fallout, continue to have a negative impact on diet and physical activity,” he said.
“Addressing NCDs is clearly essential for equitable economic recovery and resilience in the wake of the pandemic . . . The pandemic provides an opportunity for action and change,” he said.
Chambliss was addressing the opening ceremony of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) regional annual conference on non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and control on Thursday.
The conference theme was Our Food, Our Health, Our People – Accelerating healthy food policies to tackle NCDs.
He suggested that in addition to some measures already being taken by governments and organisations to help tackle the issue of NCDs, authorities should look at greater use of laws.
“Another essential part of the solution could be the use of laws and regulations to reduce the demand for and offer of processed and ultra-processed products that contain excessive amounts of sugar, fats and sodium,” he said.
During the seminar, officials shared experiences and recommended the acceleration of food policies and greater awareness as some of the solutions to address the range of issues that were contributing to NCDs in the region, which include the lack of access to affordable and nutritious food, inadequate regional transportation, regional trade barriers, lack of proper labelling, and the easy access to cheaper unhealthy food choices.
Up to Thursday, July 1, Barbados recorded a total of 4,082 COVID-19 cases. Authorities have reported that most of the 47 deaths, were people who had underlying health conditions.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)
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