Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 28/Sep 09:43

Caribbean Wellness Day 2025: The danger of NCDs

CHRONIC non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for about 75 per cent of deaths in the Caribbean, yet people still do not see them as a real danger. That is the reality highlighted by Dr Horace Cox, director of the Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Unit at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (Carpha), as the region observed Caribbean Wellness Day 2025 on September 13 under the theme Engage, Empower, Elevate. Newsday spoke to Cox during an interview at Carpha, Federation Park, Port of Spain, on September 17. He explained because NCDs account for the majority of deaths in the region, policy-makers came together to create the 2007 Declaration of Port of Spain, advancing efforts to arrest NCDs as a public health problem. But Cox said one of the main challenges has been convincing people that NCDs pose an immediate threat. “The issue is that, because it takes a while to get installed and then cause the death to the person, more often than not, it doesn't resonate with people that it's an immediate threat. [caption id="attachment_1181008" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Annalise Mitchell, four, joins in on the fun at Ministry of Health's Caribbean Wellness Day Walk/Run and Wellness Fair at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on September 20. The region celebrated Caribbean Wellness Day on September 13. - Photo by Faith Ayoung[/caption] “And by that, I mean that they often don't understand they need to make immediate changes in order to prevent dying from it. Because people think, ‘Well, hypertension, diabetes, I can live years with this,’ to the extent that people aren't always compliant with the medication and making modifications to their lifestyle.” He noted that generally, people are more afraid of infectious diseases because the risk feels more immediate. The challenge with NCDs, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, is that their long-term effects often go unrecognised until it is too late. One of the mandates of the 2007 declaration was to have an annual day to increase awareness of NCDs. Caribbean Wellness Day is now commemorated on the second Saturday of September across the region. Cox explained that, this year, Carpha is reaching out to stakeholders to build awareness, sharing accurate information with the population to empower them to make informed choices and increasing people’s appreciation that NCDs are a real problem. “The hope is that this, in part, influences actions and right behaviours, so that it will contribute to reducing the burden of chronic NCDs, and ultimately to reducing the number of persons dying.” Fighting misinformation Carpha shared materials with member states, allowing their ministries of health to adjust them to fit their local commemorations. Cox pointed out that there was a lot of disinformation and misinformation available, especially on social media, as well as appealing advertisements that encourage people to engage in behaviour that are NCD risks like high alcohol consumption, smoking and overeating, so sharing accurate information is important. [caption id="attachment_1181012" align="alignnone" width="800"] -[/caption] Carpha has also been engaging at the community level and focussing on My Caribbean Plate, a campaign launched in 2023, to show some of the simple actions that can be taken to improve diets and lifestyle. It encourages things like physical activity, engaging with local markets and supporting local farmers, planting your own food if possible, reading the nutrition labels on packaged foods and eating balanced meals. “The idea is that the Caribbean plate offers not only was traditional to us with our flavours and so on. It also looks at the balance, ensuring that we don't overwhelm it (the plate) with a particular food group, but that we have, as a general prescription, 50 per cent in terms of vegetables, 25 per cent in terms of staples, we recommend ground provision as far as practical, and also 25 per cent in terms of like protein from animal sources or plant sources.” Still, he acknowledged that healthier choices are not always the most accessible. “A household’s proximity to a fast food restaurant may be much closer than a market, and the number of fast food places were significantly higher to the number of markets in a community. Such factors could determine the choices people make.” Internally, Carpha’s Wellness Committee also hosted activities including Latin dancing, yoga, snack and paint, and a table tennis competition. He said such activities were designed not only to mark the occasion, but to encourage behaviour change in a practical way. Complicated relationships with food Cox admitted that many countries had ageing populations, and those individuals face a “significantly higher” risk of developing NCDs. In addition, hereditary factors also play a role. He said another reason changing people’s behaviour is difficult is because people’s relationship with food is very complicated, and each individual’s habits and choices influence the result. [caption id="attachment_1181011" align="alignnone" width="800"] -[/caption] Access to fresh produce versus fast food, the way children are introduced to certain foods, and people’s emotional associations with food all play a role. In many cases, dietary practices also reflect socio-economic status. He added that funding is also limited. Organisations do not invest in chronic NCDs as much as other diseases because the returns on the investment are not immediately obvious. “But Carpha is well positioned because Carpha has access to the policy makers as a public health institution with a mandate for the Caribbean. For example, Carpha is positioned to advocate and to be able to work with stakeholders to get non-communicable diseases on the policy agenda, share accurate information out there, strengthen the surveillance system and monitor the data that's available to see if there is any impact, and make proposals as to how we can re-calibrate efforts in terms of addressing this problem.” Cox stressed that Carpha’s main interest is to increase the level of awareness, because individuals interacting with each other is the main way change can take place. “So our main interest, especially for this year, is to ensure that we elevate the level of awareness and that people are empowered to make the right choices, for them to be aware of the things that influence the choices and to try their best to mitigate by modifying some lifestyle measures that they have.” But he emphasised that NCDs are not just an individual problem. [caption id="attachment_1181010" align="alignnone" width="800"] -[/caption] NCDs reduce productivity as people become ill or disabled, and they also impose psychological and financial burdens on families. For governments, the cost of screening services, medication and treatment such as dialysis increases as NCD cases rise. For this reason, Cox encouraged people to get screened at their health facilities, manage their risk factors and listen to medical advice. The hope is that by engaging communities, empowering individuals with accurate information, and elevating awareness, Caribbean Wellness Day 2025 will push the region one step closer to reducing the deadly but often underestimated impact of chronic NCDs.   The post Caribbean Wellness Day 2025: The danger of NCDs appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.