ACCORDING to a recent study, the proper treatment of diabetes and high blood pressure in this country would cost US$89.4 million.
Outlining such figures for select regional countries from the report conducted by the Caribbean Commission on Health and Development was Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning as he addressed the media summit on non-communicable diseases held in Port of Spain on Saturday.
The report also points out that based on available statistics, if these diseases were to be properly treated, the combined economic burden of diabetes and high blood pressure, would be US$59.4 million in the Bahamas, US$89.4 million in Barbados, US$419.3 million in Jamaica and US$496.7 million in Trinidad and Tobago, he cited.
Speaking on the grave issue, he said the study had shown that five times as many people died from such diseases as from all the other illnesses combined.
In term of the health, per se, of the people of our region, there is a major challenge on our hands, he stressed.
Pointing to the economics effect, he noted that the Caribbean had a great cause for concern.
Saying that it was necessary to identify strategies for the primary prevention of these diseases, Manning noted that these would be located by acknowledging that the use of tobacco and alcohol, inadequate physical education and diets that lead to obesity were the most significant factors.
We are hoping to establish a collective approach for accelerating the management and control of non-communicable diseases, including making provisions for screening for early detection and treatment, strengthening our health services infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted provision of medication especially for those financially challenged. There is a range of issues requiring collective attention, he said.
Commenting on the last Heads of Government Conference held in July, he said a decision had been made that the leaders would pursue functional co-operation as a basis for achieving our community goals and aspirations, and therefore urged the co-operation of the media in helping to outline these required lifestyle changes to the masses.(JM)
