As countries the world over prepare to gather at the upcoming United Nations High Level Summit on Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September, Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy believes that more needs to be done to ensure that developing countries are placed in a better position to adequately address the issue.
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy
He noted that NCDs are the major causes of death not only here but globally and can only be tackled through a collaborative approach. Chronic NCDs such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancer, lung diseases and neo-psychiatric disorders are responsible for almost 60 per cent of deaths in Guyana annually: “We need to take global action to protect all of our people. Healthy public policies relating to transfat and salt must be attained through global agreements; and therefore we, as developing countries, can ensure healthier foods are provided to our people.” He noted that the challenges facing countries like Guyana stem from trade agreements that are mandatory on developing countries.
Dr Ramsammy stressed that it is time that developing countries fight to ensure that trade policies are changed to accommodate local policies.
“The resources of countries like Guyana to regulate trade are very difficult and unless we have global agreements it will not work. These are things we will struggle for at the summit in September.” Moreover, the health minister noted that whilst strides have been made to ensure that NCDs are significantly reduced, those with greater powers than the Health Ministry are somewhat defeating that purpose. Pointing to the ministry’s campaign for the exclusive breastfeeding of infants he said: “Today, we are bombarded with messages of breast milk substitutes, nicely packaged milk being presented by sexy mothers.
“This summit would be a useless response to the calls of ministers of health of developing countries to have real global agreement. Because if a small country such as Guyana was to restrict the importation of these milks we are going to solicit the wrath of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Trade policies need urgent and emergency adjustments because trade policies represent one of the greatest challenges that we face in responding to the NCDs.” Additionally, the health minister stressed that inequities that currently exist among the developed and developing world must come to an end for any agreement at the UN level to become effective thereby producing results: “Getting together at the UN would be pointless unless we confront the inequities that face us. The summit will only be meaningful if we are willing to address issues like those. We will not be a silent voice at the UN, we will call for positive and concrete actions when it comes to addressing the issue, and whilst we need more global resources we are not necessarily asking for more money. We are asking for adjustment of policies so that whatever resources we have now can in fact obtain more.” Ramsammy stated that it is obvious that countries such as Guyana need better policies, but noted that it is not only an issue for the developing world but there needs to be global change.
“These are facts that face us.” He said NCDs are one of the major causes of poverty globally. “It is not only individuals and families that are being impoverished — there is a direct impact on the economy and the NCDs have an equally critical impact on productivity, not only because people die prematurely … therefore, we lose their labour and training and expertise; but also because people cannot go to work so it’s not only death that prevents the productivity.
“The NCDs keep people in their homes, but not only the person who is directly affected by the NCDs, but also the person who must stay home to take care of the person.
“Hospital costs go up, medicine and technology go up. There can be absolutely no doubt therefore that we are dealing with a major barrier when it comes to the ending of poverty.” He believes that should we have more, and use science and technology, “we could make a real impact on the NCDs.”
Chronic NCDs are diseases that result from behavioural attitudes or risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, and inactivity. The current adult smoking prevalence lies at 16 per cent: Men smokers at 30 per cent while women are three per cent; the current youth tobacco use equals 18 per cent. There is a prevalence of 36 per cent of adults who consume alcohol dangerously, with 39.2 per cent of students who drank at least one drink within the past 30 days, while 79 per cent of those students would have had their first drink within a month’s time.
