New health survey to address Barbados’ NCD crisis

A new Health of the Nation Survey will be conducted this year to get a fix on Barbados’ growing non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic, which accounts for 80 per cent of deaths on the island, health minister Davidson Ishmael has announced.

The survey aims to provide crucial data for evidence-based policymaking, addressing the urgent need for updated information on dietary habits and nutrition status.

Ishmael, the minister of state in the Ministry of Health, made the announcement during the National Nutrition Centre’s conference for Nutrition Month, themed Unpacking the Economics of Healthy Diets and Sustainable Agriculture, held at the Radisson Aquatica Resort on Wednesday.

Ishmael emphasised the urgency of the survey, stating that the last Health of the Nation Survey was conducted a decade ago.

“The last health of the nation survey was done in 2015, and therefore to effectively map and understand trends in obesity and NCDs, it is important to collect and analyse data on dietary habits and nutrition status in particular. On a positive note, I am pleased to share that the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GA-CDRC) is expected to commence during the course of this year a Health of the Nation Survey,” he said. “This evidence-based approach enables the development of more targeted interventions, policies, and programmes that address specific needs of communities. Ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to combat health issues and promote our wellbeing.”

The results of this study will support the development of more tailored health policies and programmes, according to Ishmael, who added that it will also ensure resources are allocated efficiently to combat the nation’s pressing health challenges. He also underscored the importance of collaboration between the National Nutrition Centre and academic institutions in tracking obesity and NCD trends through data-driven insights.

He said: “The National Nutrition Centre needs to foster partnerships with academic institutions to harness data-driven insights that can track obesity and NCD trends, thereby enabling the formation of tailored health policies and strategies. At the centre of all of this is the emphasis on research nutrition surveillance; in our current public health landscape we see a dearth in current research. The last Barbados Food Consumption and Anthropometric Survey was done in the year 2000.”

Barbados has been grappling with a high prevalence of NCDs, which account for approximately 80 per cent of deaths on the island, according to the Ministry of Health. Given these statistics, Ishmael said it was critical for stakeholders to tackle the issue from all perspectives, apart from health.

“From rising incidences of NCDs to the ever-present threat posed by climate change, we find ourselves at a crucial intersection. Our healthcare system is increasingly burdened by the rising prevalence of NCDs, many of which are directly linked to poor dietary practices, high levels of physical inactivity, and a perceived lack of access to healthy affordable food options,” he said.

“It is therefore imperative that we remember that this issue is not just a health concern, but a complex social and economic dilemma as well.”

(SB)