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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Barbados is witnessing a disturbing trend of more young people falling victim to at least one chronic illness.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John made this disclosure on Wednesday during the opening session of a health meeting at the Savannah Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church.
Chronic diseases include asthma, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease and glaucoma.
Dr. St John said that the concern about chronic non-communicable diseases related to factors including their deadly nature and the burden they placed on the health sector and on families.
Some 59 per cent of global deaths were now due to chronic diseases, with 40 per cent of the figure classified as premature fatalities from preventable heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and asthma, according to St John.
Minister of Health Donville Inniss said one-third of the adult Barbadian population could be suffering from not one, but two chronic diseases in the next ten years. Inniss highlighted the need for improved standards of care across the health sector. He said the proposed Medical Registration Act 2010, which he expected will be debated in Parliament this year, would help in this regard.
The act will set guidelines and rules for registration, re-registration and operation of all medical health-care professionals in Barbados.
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