Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Sep 13, 2014 News
– intended to help combat daunting implications
Guyana has taken an ambitious step to launch a National Commission on the Prevention and Control of Non
Communicable Diseases (NCDs), an undertaking that occurred yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. The auspicious launch was in fact graced by Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr. Carissa Etienne, who arrived in Guyana on Wednesday and has been gaining a better understanding of the efforts already being implemented by the local health sector.
According to Dr. Etienne, during an interview with this publication yesterday, while persons might be worried about an acute illness like the Chikungunya virus, there is yet “a killer in our midst that we seem to be very comfortable with and which we should be doing something about.” The PAHO Director was at the time alluding to the impact of NCDs.
She however, noted that with an integrated plan of action in place based on the guidelines of PAHO/WHO and the Port of Spain Declaration, Guyana is poised to make a difference in terms of the NCDs situation.
She nevertheless cautioned, that even with the relevant guidelines, countries yet can find it a difficult task to put all of the necessary elements in place. Dr. Etienne therefore, noted that “it is not just a health problem, it is a developmental problem…it is an all of society, all of Government problem; so it just can’t be the Ministry of Health, it has to be all of the Government sectors that must work on this agenda in an integrated manner.”
Moreover, Dr. Etienne said that PAHO is calling on all authorities and all of society to focus on the four main NCDs risk factors – tobacco use, alcohol abuse, sedentary life styles and eating habits – in order to realise needful gains.
Speaking specifically to the issue of obesity, the PAHO Director shared her conviction that the NCDs problem is not only in the Caribbean but in many parts of the Americas. “We have to address this because this is an associated factor or cause for a lot of diseases and our population is not as enthusiastic about this issue as they are about some that would have less impact on their health,” underscored a concerned Dr. Etienne.
And according to Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, the local health sector has long recognised NCDs as a major problem. In addressing this problem, Dr. Ramsaran said that PAHO has been offering immense support to combat what he described as “the emerging public health threat… Ebola; yes we have to look at that, Chikungunya, we have to look at that, but we need to keep looking (because) every so often a new virus turns up…”
Addressing NCDs therefore, requires that moves be made to urgently tackle health challenges such as heart conditions, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, especially childhood obesity, which he noted could remain a threat to the health sector “if we do not take steps and measures to curtail them.”
The disturbing challenge of NCDs, according to the Minister, is reflected in the fact that it causes about 60 to 70 per cent of the country’s deaths and their associated complications. He moreover pointed out that “even HIV/AIDS pales in significance.”
As such, the Minister stressed yesterday that effective tackling of NCDs is crucial since they have the potential of “taking a heavy toll” at the personal, family, community and national level. “People lose lots of working hours because they have to seek attention or they have to repair themselves and at the same time, the insurance systems like NIS for example suffer significantly,” said the Minister. This state of affairs, according to the Minister, can also result in the loss of work hours to the economy.
But with the National Commission on NCDs with about 25 members drawn from various facets of society including the private sector, labour movement, Non-Governmental Organisations and some ex-officio members from the Health Ministry, Dr. Ramsaran said, that strategic strides are expected to be made. As part of the efforts to address NCDs too, Dr. Ramsaran said that a small unit has been created within the Health Ministry which is being headed by Cuban-trained doctor, Kavita Singh.
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