Country Program Specialist (CPS) at the Pan American Health Organization, Shirley Augustine, has stated that in order to combat the rise in Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), there must be a “Whole of society” approach taken where all sectors should play a role in producing a healthy society.
NCDs such as heart disease, cancers, hypertension and diabetes are seen as a major public health problem in Dominica with evidence of significant burden on the health and well-being of the population. These diseases are in the top ten leading causes of death in Dominica.
Speaking at a consultation on an NCD Policy and Plan of Action on Wednesday, July 26th at the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.) Open Campus, Augustine said that sectors such as Agriculture, and the education system at schools should all play a part in the drive towards having health-influenced public policies and seek to develop the practice of distributing healthy foods.
“These include and are not limited to; Ministry of Health, Agriculture which is responsible for food security and healthy choices should not be more expensive than the unhealthy choices; there is need to look at the curriculum school feeding programs and to ensure that healthy snacks are served at school,” she said.
She added that she believes there is a need to decrease or limit the unhealthy foods imported to Dominica, especially those “with high sodium content.”
Augustine stressed that having a healthy society is “everybody’s business,” and the various sectors must come on board as the Ministry of Health cannot do it on its own.
“So it is not a Ministry of Health thing, it is everybody’s business; health in all policies, because the Ministry of Health on its own cannot do it. Finance, the private sectors, NGO’s, individuals, whoever you are, it is everybody’s business,” she stated.
According to Augustine, PAHO has been promoting health in all policies, which is an approach to public policies that “systematically takes into account the health implication of decisions, synergies and avoids unhelpful impacts in order to improve population health.”
She added that the introduction of healthy living into public policies needs to start with activities that are sponsored by the government.
Not only will this cause them to “lead by example,” but it also serves as a way of cutting costs, she noted.
“As a concept, it reflects the principles of legitimacy, accountability, transparency, and access to information, participation, sustainability, and collaboration across the sectors and levels of government. Let us lead by example. We need to have both the theory and the practical. We can begin with a policy on food served at government sponsored workshops and other functions. A healthy fruit bowl costs six dollars, compared to the unhealthy snacks I see we are being served which cost seventeen dollars per person,” she added.
Augustine advocates that a healthy public policy should be valued because “health and health equity have values in their own right and are important prerequisites for achieving many other societal goals.”
She remarked that public policies in all sectors and at different levels of governance can have “a significant impact on population health and health equity.”
It is time that DA set up some drug treatment programs. In fact it is way past time. Major substance abuse and addiction problem is evident.
You will never see changes in Dominica for the better unless we get away from KFC and -pizza……people, the imported chicken we eat today has at least 30% more saturated fat in it, and all kinds of growth hormones…..then we fry that bird in more fat! Stay with free range meats , eat mostly fruits and vegetables. I guarantee you most of land the whales in Dominica will disappear!
Ps. The adults are next to impossible to change….educate and save the children !
What you say is unfortunately true.
Why don’t we look at places like Japan and see how they are able to have so many centenarians with low rates of NCDs. We have the resources in Dominica to model their lifestyle instead we keep trying to follow the western world. You don’t need to be rich to be healthy. We don’t realize that countries like the US, EU, make money by keeping us unhealthy and then pushing their agendas. They feed us unhealthy foods, sell us their medicines etc it is a cycle that we can break out off.
So NCD’s, where do they originate from? We are a NATURE island, so we should be as healthy as snakes, yes? Tell us Ms. Ausgustine, why are we so unhealthy? Perhaps it to do with pesticides, chem. additives in our food? That is what the people’s, not Zika lying PAHO, research is telling us. And whilst you are at it, care to tell us about the copious lies you put our way about the Zika epidemic???
This is a complex problem on a large scale which needs an enormous paradigm shift out side the box of conventional medicine, until such thing is not addressed we are not ready to solve such problem.No Government public policy can solve such crisis. We must get out of the cult of health management associated with non communicable diseases People have to take responsibility for the choices they make regarding their lifestyle, we must eat live, not live to eat.The physical body is the most sophisticated technology on the planet, as individuals we remain ignorant of it’s operation and functions, some of us take better care of other material things we own. We as individuals need to make it a crusade to attain good health, this should be the focus as long as we are alive.
Shirly please start with discussing the donated type of foods given to our children in the school feeding programme. Yes, they are hungry yet killed slowly. Thats how the diseases start.
On the issue of the school children and the unhealthy snacks,this is of serious concern to me,because if immediate action is not taken,an already poor,badly managed,badly governed and broken Dominica will be further ravaged by an unhealthy youthful population.The government needs to provide the environment for job creation.If so many people are dependent on a pittance from a government,then they just cant eat healthy food.
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO
SKERRIT MUST GO NOW!
I applaud your efforts and really it starts in the mind. Although all stakeholders must play a role, i want to bring this to our attention however.
We are sick because of our spiritual lifestyles. Those who have read the bible, tell me, when Jesus walked the earth in flesh, how many people asked for healing and he refused?
When you let go and surrender to him he takes care of ALL of your needs BUT you must walk in his ways…. I am not saying that you will not sin BUT when you make him your Master you will not deliberately sin to grieve Him. That’s why the cross is there… so that we can lay our burdens, and sins there as Christians…
He did not want to leave an unfinished business and paid all our debts in full! He wants his value worth for the price which he paid! He wants us to repent and follow his ways… accept him… turn around and just believe! The work is already done!
The greatest problem we will continue to face is deceit! Is there anything too hard for God to do?
Continuation:
Wake up Church! you are the body of Christ… he in you and you in him!
If God didn’t want you healed why would there be 96 verses on healing? Just open up to him, confess your sins and leave the rest to God. God is not a switch neither is he moved by crying but by your faith! How many times you will ask and not give up! How long you will wait! …. come on….. even unto the last minute!
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Healing
Your have said nothing to address the problem.When will you face reality, see and understand things for what they are, stop all this silly religious rhetoric.
You must first learn to differentiate between religion and revelation (Christianity/ salvation) and then you will understand what we are facing! Tell that to Jesus who fed thousands with limited supply, tell that to Jesus who healed every disease, tell that to Jesus who left no stone upturned! How long will we continue to live in hypocrisy pretending that we have the answer to everything when we know precisely that there is a God above who is more than capable of taking care of ALL our needs!
We are back to a generation of vipers! Jesus Christ is the answer to everything! Everything! and he is quickly coming back!
Praise the name of Jesus
Sad situation in our society today,our people have become lazy and greedy,how hard is it to stay away from all this imported foods,the sugars are bad for these people yet they continue to consume,i have been staying away from all this processed foods and the results has been great.Dominican eat what you grow.
Consultation on NCD policy? I read on a bus this morning “if you change nothing, nothing will change” Shirley just use that post you have to help or change things. You are just talk. See below what the minister responsible for help said last year.
“Ministry of Health (MOH) has finalized its Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Policy — first discussed in 2013— and is currently in the advanced stage of preparation of a School Nutrition Policy.
“At the moment the Ministry of Health has completed its NCD Policy, which will give direction to the prevention and management of selected NCDs through an integrated approach,”
Now, what is your talk about. It is every body’s business as you say but a “them” must do, to lead by example. Fault finder as usual in everybody else…..
These are the policies we need to push forward…Its a collective approach…We should not accept companies going into schools and targeting children with junk drinks/foods. The school feeding programs is embarrassing, Cancerous hot dogs, macaroni etc…
Well said Mrs Augustine!!
These are very constructive and timely comments from PAHO Rep. Augustine. I could not help but notice the sparsity of males in your photograph depicting some of the attendees at the presentation. I counted 3 males in the photograph. It is quite possible that there were other males in attendance but I am sure that their numbers were very low in comparison to female participation.
The point is that the males in our society ( Dominica and Caribbean region in general) are “missing in action” in so many critical areas in our “functioning society” that I am afraid that we have truly become an “endangered species” ( I am a male Dominican living in the V.I. ). That has now become a chronic problem that needs to be addressed.
Nat