NCD crisis: ‘Know your number, before it comes up’

Barbadians are being urged to take personal responsibility for monitoring key health indicators — blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels – especially given that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for 80 per cent of all deaths in the country and are costing the nation up to 10 per cent of its GDP each year.

 

Addressing the 50th anniversary celebration of the Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados, held at the Horatio Cooke Auditorium at the National Union of Public Workers headquarters, Senior Medical Officer of Health Dr Walter Alleyne said it was important for Barbadians to know and recognise the significance of the “sobering” numbers associated with a range of NCDs on the island.

 

“As of 2021, NCDs account for a staggering 80 per cent of all deaths in Barbados. One in four Barbadians is living with at least one NCD. [Additionally] the economic impact is equally alarming,” he explained. “NCDs cost our nation between $375 million to $825 million annually, equivalent to nearly 10 per cent of our GDP.”

 

During his remarks, Dr Alleyne detailed the alarming statistics on NCDs, noting that in 2022 alone, there were 556 recorded heart attacks and 765 strokes. He highlighted that diabetes figures are particularly troubling, with 26.4 per cent of adults either living with raised blood glucose or self-reporting a diabetes diagnosis. Women are disproportionately affected, with 30.7 per cent affected, compared with 21.5 per cent of men. Meanwhile, hypertension affects 43.8 per cent of women and 36.9 per cent of men, and two-thirds of the adult population is either overweight or obese.

 

He stressed: “When we know our personal numbers – blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels – we are empowered to take control of our health. When we understand our national numbers, the prevalence rates, the healthcare costs, the human costs, we are better positioned to act decisively as a nation.”

 

Dr Alleyne said the Ministry of Health has responded with initiatives such as the World Health Organisation’s HEARTS initiative and the upcoming Hearts D programme, which aim to improve cardiovascular and diabetes care in primary health settings.

 

“The HEARTS initiative focuses on healthy lifestyle counselling, evidence-based treatment protocols, access to essential medicines and technology, risk-based management, team-based care, and systems for monitoring. Its diabetes-specific extension, Hearts D, integrates specialised protocols for diabetes care.

 

“These initiatives provide a structured, systematic approach to improving detection, treatment and control of hypertension and diabetes in our primary healthcare facilities, ensuring that our citizens receive consistent, high-quality care aligned with international standards,” Dr Alleyne said.

 

“Changing the numbers is indeed the hard part. It requires commitment at all levels – individually, at the community level and at the government level – but together I believe we can build healthy and sustainable lifestyles for all Barbadians.”

 

President of the Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados, Tyrone Lowe, echoed the call for greater awareness and engagement, describing the association’s golden jubilee and upcoming ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign as “more than a milestone – it’s a call to action”.

 

“Over the coming months, we will continue to engage communities, policymakers, healthcare professionals and the media in this critical conversation. Our 50th anniversary campaign is designed to engage, educate and inspire,” he said.

 

The celebrations will include a church service at James Street Methodist Church on April 27 and a series of other events aimed at raising awareness, including a youth forum for young people living with diabetes.

 

Lowe said: “By youth forum, we are very concerned about over 100 young people that we have that are type 1 diabetic. We’ve had reason to believe that some of them may not be coping emotionally well with the fact that they have the condition. One 10-year-old boy was recorded as asking ‘why me’, as he feels targeted [with] life not being so kind.

 

“That evening, what we want to do is let them know that they are not alone, and they have friends around, life can be as normal as possible, and you don’t have to feel isolated.”

(SB)