Chronic disease the leading cause of deaths in the BVI
Statistics have shown that chronic diseases have been the leading cause of deaths in the British Virgin Islands over the last decade.
This is according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Dr Ronald Georges.
Speaking during a recent airing of the Honestly Speaking with Claude Skelton Cline radio programme, the BVIHSA boss said: “I don’t have the figures for this year or last year but invariably over the last ten years or so, the cause of death have been cancers, cardiac disease or cardiac vascular disease which includes things like heart attacks, heart failures, strokes, and then some of the contributors would be things like renal disease, diabetes and those kinds of things.”
“You would have a smaller number of persons who die from things like drowning and violent deaths which are much smaller. But, invariably, most of the people that die, die because of the chronic diseases,” Dr Georges further said.
BVI Mortality Data Tracked
The BVIHSA CEO said death related-information is usually collected in the BVI to track mortality data.
He said everyone that dies must, therefore, have a ’cause of death’ and that information must be recorded.
“It (the cause of death information) finds itself on a death certificate and it is also recorded by the Ministry of Health,” Dr Georges explained. “Some people may not have autopsies, some persons may know what illnesses they had so invariably there is going to be a cause of death on a death certificate.”
What should or can be done?
Dr Georges said he believes several programmes are needed to help reduce chronic diseases in the BVI. He said these programmes should target persons from as early as childhood. He further said it will take a collaborative between several ministries to accomplish this goal.
“The Ministry of Health could recognise the problem, but most of the solutions exist in the other ministries. So it’s important to get … the ministries together and understand that health is just not Ministry of Health. You also need the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs to do their thing, you need the Ministry of Agriculture doing their thing, you need the Ministry of Trade doing their thing.”
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
that’s the same in every country in the world, unless its a war zone
But it is still a problem that can easily be solved.
In the mid 1960s, the BVI economy started the transformation from subsistence agriculture to services, ie, tourism and financial services that are the twin pillars of the economy. The economic boom boosted the BVI into having one of the highest standard of living and quality of life and per capita income ($34K) in the region. With the improved standard of living and quality of life, came lifestyle changes, ie, a more sedentary lifestyle and dietary changes. Moreover, for example, more processed, fatty, fried…..etc foods are being consumed. These dietary changes seemed to be a cause of increasing obesity.
On the other hand, the good news is that there are more access to quality medical care. Though chronic diseases may not be completely prevented, their impact may be deferred and effect lessened with proactive quality medical care. Early detection through preventative medical care can enhance the quality of life and standard of living, as well as lessened the burden on medical system, reducing cost.
Further, though government can lend a helping hand, ie, education, facilities, financial assistance …..etc., each one is responsible for one’s health care. A programme of regular exercise, proper diet, preventative care, review of family history, paying attention to warning signs, heeding doctors’ advice…..etc is good start to improved health. Strongly suggest residents consult with a medical professional(s).
I must say that when I see expats arrive here for work within a year you can see the increase in waistline quite dramatically. Big problem is the US style of diet and the amount of sugar and corn syrup pumped into everything, they even put sugar in milk!
I suspect its those bottled waters
The men especially have become addicted to rum and pum pum and won’t get proper food or sleep, so what do we expect the end result to be? Up all night chasing latin a** while consuming poison, meanwhile they sleep all day and eat good so they can live off their money. What a calamity in these beautiful islands.
facts
I think of people would start exercising more and doing their best to eat the right foods it could reverse the trend of some of these diseases that are prevalent in our society. Simply put, just lead a healthy lifestyle. This starts from children right on up to adults
Stop buying take-away food. (new flash, it is NEVER healthy). Buy your fruits and vegetables in the supermarket (yes, vegetables) and create a nice and healthly lunch. Do some exercise daily and those chronic “deseases” will vanish quickly.
Life here is too stressful is all it is. The simplest things are very difficult. You can’t even share information with people without getting cursed by them.
When it reach to a stage when you have to buy water to drink what do yall expect.next up is oxygen taxt.
All Food and Life Style related…. inevitably, as we are at the end of a corporate food supply chain contrived to pump the population full of mind and body numbing chemically composed ingredients ( yes including the ‘vegetables’)for maximum compliance with a drastically unnatural – nature separated – life style that has been imposed on us by the hypnotic vision of imagined modernity.
All Food and Life Style related…. inevitably, as we are at the end of a corporate food supply chain contrived to pump the population full of mind and body numbing chemically composed ingredients ( yes including the ‘vegetables’)for maximum compliance with a drastically unnatural – nature separated – life style that has been imposed on us by the hypnotic vision of imagined modernity.
You only have to look at the increasing size of the Premier himself to see the problem.