NCDs a major threat to health

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, obesity and chronic respiratory diseases, represent a leading threat to human health.

According to the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that by the year 2030, 86.3 per cent of all deaths in Barbados will be caused by NCDs.

“Not only in Barbados, but universally, these NCDs, have been recognised as a major threat to health, economies and societies. Socioeconomic progress has created conditions that favour the rise of these NCDs, and we are therefore witnessing changes which require us to think broadly and act comprehensively,” Senior Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Leslie Rollock stressed.

However, the good news is that there are interventions which can prevent many of the premature deaths caused by NCDs.

Dr. Rollock, who was at the time addressing the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Sandy Crest Medical Centre, shared that the Ministry has considered not only the biological risk factors of disease, but also the behavioural patterns, social context and the environment when implementing strategies and public health programmes, to revive, reduce and ultimately remove these risk factors.

She said the initiatives of the Ministry are also in line with the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020, which was signed by member states, and includes a set of targets for reducing the major risks factors of obesity, high blood pressure, tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and salt intake.

Through the process of legislation, Dr. Rollock observed that the Barbados Government has played a pivotal role in promoting the avoidance of conditions that would lead to the development of NCDs, such as the Health Services (Protection of Minors from Tabacco Products Regulations) Act.

The Senor Medical Officer also noted that another initiative aimed at reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases was the introduction of a 10 per cent tax on all sugar sweetened beverages.

“I want to encourage everyone to replace sugared drinks with either plain water, reduced or non-sugared drinks. We will continue to engage manufacturers and distributors of food and beverages with respect to including healthy options in their products offerings… These are just some of the steps we have taken to reduce, prevent and control NCD’s which now represent the greatest global burden to mankind.” (TL)