Dr. Glennis Andall-Brereton, Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) Programme Manager for Non-Communicable Disease, Injury and Substance Abuse, Prevention and Control was in the Federation as part of a regional drive to promote the conducting of risk factor surveys.
In this instance, the surveys are specific to non-communicable diseases which include diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer and heart disease.
Dr. Brereton noted that chronic non-communicable diseases are the top four causes of death in the region. She said that despite this, over the years more attention has been paid to controlling infectious/communicable diseases. The CAREC programme manager explained that this is one of the chief reasons for CAREC's advocating these surveys in order to identify the risk factors that are contributing to so many people developing these illnesses.
While in the Federation, she held discussions with officials from the Ministry of Health as well as the committee which is in the process of planning a survey on chronic diseases.
Dr. Brereton explained that a chronic disease is sometimes referred to as non-communicable because it cannot be passed on by coughing or bodily contact. She noted that such illness is so prevalent in our society that most persons know someone who has either cancer, diabetes or hypertension. ~~adz:Right~~
She elaborated that certain persons have a higher chance of contracting such illnesses because of genetics, meaning that one of their parents, grandparents or another of their forebears had the illness. She said survey questions would cover certain areas including whether or not one previously had a blood sugar test, how much alcohol is consumed, whether or not one smokes, how much physical activity is part of the daily routine, and a description of individuals" eating habits.
The CAREC Programme Manager said that the risk factor survey has an initial use of addressing prevalent risks in the individual Caribbean countries.
She suggested that if a population is inactive interventions can be made to increase daytime activities. This could be done by providing more recreation at school, at work and at home. She noted that tips on eating healthy could also be provided including cooking with less fat and the like.
She informed that the statistics will also be used in a regional sense to compare data from different countries, taking note of trends.
This will then be used to advise on a regional level when it becomes apparent that there is need for changes in policy that will benefit all countries involved. She noted that if for instance it was found that large imports of vegetables and fruits make them less accessible, the region would be advised to introduce certain trade policies to change that situation.
Dr. Brereton also took the opportunity to congratulate the Ministry of Health for taking the important step to undertake the risk factor survey which she explained was the beginning of surveillance. This she said would provide baseline data so that when follow-up surveys were done in the next three to five years it would be possible to access the impact of the interventions, and determine if additional changes were necessary to improve the status of health in the Federation.
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