While 40 per cent of the adult population in Barbados has at least one non-communicable disease (NCD) and a significant proportion have risk factors for developing them, a senior health official has suggested that the problem may be even bigger than statistics show.
For this reason, said Senior Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Arthur Phillips, Rotary Club of Barbados spearheading a major initiative to scale up community-based screening, increase advocacy and raise awareness and sensitisation for NCD prevention and control, is a significant undertaking.
The club announced on Monday that it will be partnering with Ross University School of Medicine, Sagicor Life Inc., The Bayview Hospital Ltd., The Emergency Room Inc., and Riomed Ltd. to conduct early screening programmes to support a reduction in NCD incidence and prevalence.
Speaking at the media launch of the Create Hope: NCD Screening & Literacy Project, Dr Phillips said that the NCD problem in Barbados was too large for any single stakeholder to resolve and would require a collaborative effort.
“I particularly commend [Rotary] for doing it in this way, doing it in partnership, mobilising other partners who can deliver other particular elements and deliver well,” he said.
“So we believe that this model is likely to be effective. They are addressing vulnerable communities, they are addressing knowledge, they are addressing some elements of the supportive environment. So we are quite excited and quite happy to have been able to provide them with advice and guidance and other elements of support to allow them to be able to position and to execute this project.”
Delivering remarks at the launch, held in the conference room at the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited, President of the Rotary Club of Barbados Ermine Darroux-Francis said the club had examined the statistics released by the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, which showed that Barbados recorded a very high rate of NCDs in the region, averaging 10 heart attacks and 14 strokes per week.
Noting that the club also reviewed alarming information regarding the real costs associated with managing NCDs, she said the service club saw it necessary to create a plan to assist in the fight against NCDs, volunteerism and community service being the cornerstone of the program.
“Through this programme, we strive to create an opportunity for residents in vulnerable communities to benefit from early screening and to learn more about these devastating diseases. Health and well-being are integral components of this community programme,” Darroux-Francis said.
“We understand that a healthy community is a strong community. That’s why we will facilitate physical activities, wellness check-ups, and awareness campaigns on noncommunicable diseases. By prioritising the well-being of our community members, we are fostering an environment where everyone can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
The project manager, Rotarian Barbara Trieloff-Deane, said the communities identified for the screening programme were: Belleplaine, St Andrew; Sugar Hill, St Joseph; Checker Hall, St Lucy; Indian Ground and Speightstown in St Peter; Orange Hill and Payne’s Bay in St James; Welchman Hall, St Thomas; Greens, St George; St Catherine’s, St Philip; and Parish Land, Christ Church.
“These parish communities were identified to ensure we were well positioned to cover geographically dispersed areas across Barbados and did not overlap with other screening initiatives,” she said.
“We consulted with stakeholders, and Dr Arthur Phillips, who mentioned the importance of supporting access to screening to specific business communities across our 11 parishes – for example, barbershops and gas stations where employees may not have transportation or cannot afford to take time from work to access screening.”
Some of the tests to be offered during the screening include blood pressure and blood sugar testing, cholesterol checks, and Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. The programme is expected to last for about a year and there is no age limit on persons who can be screened.
(AH)
