Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) continue to pose serious concerns in Dominica, resulting in a heavy fiscal cost.
Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton shared the figures during the presentation of the 2025/2026 National Budget held on Friday.
“Approximately 15,048 people were living with diabetes in Dominica in 2024, with an estimated economic burden between USD16.4 million and 27.4 million annually,” she said.
Non-Communicable Diseases include cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases, hypertension, and obesity, most of which are preventable. NCDs are the leading cause of illness, disability, and death globally. According to World Health Organization (WHO) these diseases account for 71 % of all deaths annually.
“Hypertension-the most prevalent NCD, affecting around 25,992 individuals in 2024, with economic cost between USD 780,000 and 1.14 million annually,” highlighted Burton.
She continued, “Cancer incidence has steadily increased with 112 new cases recorded in 2024 alone. The economic burden for new cancer cases is estimated between USD 112,000 and 896,000 annually. These figures are alarming, especially for a small population.”
According to her, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals set a target to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by one third by 2030, SDG 3.4.
“The government of Dominica is committed to this goal and to SDG 3.8, which aims for universal health coverage and access to essential healthcare for all citizens,” Burton stated. “To effectively combat NCDs, the government recognizes the need to strengthen both prevention and treatment across the healthcare system while addressing the underlying social and lifestyle factors.”
To this end, the government has enhanced medical facilities, improved access to medicines, boosted primary and secondary healthcare services, and scaled up primary healthcare initiatives.
Furthermore, she stated that recognizing the urgent need to act early, the government has strengthened national health screenings to detect NCDs sooner and prevent their progression.
In terms of preventing and managing these diseases, Burton encourages physical activity.
“The government has initiated several programs aimed at promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary lifestyles,” she noted. “Our Ministry of Health is committed to this fight, but unfortunately, health is an individual responsibility.”
She encourages the public to pay attention to their wellness.
“So what can we do collectively to prevent and manage NCDs? We start by adjusting our lifestyles, building awareness of NCD risks, educating our communities, discouraging tobacco use and excessive alcohol intake, promoting physical activity and healthy diets, improving air quality, and encouraging regular screening and timely treatment,” Burton encouraged. “ Integrating mandatory fitness programs and health education into the school curriculum with ongoing monitoring will also contribute to long-term health improvements.”
Moreover, she said the integration of digital health tools, investment in prevention strategies, and real-time disease surveillance can transform Dominica’s national health trajectory from reactive to proactive care. This shift is essential to improve population health, reduce economic losses, and build a sustainable health system.
So, let’s talk about hypotension (low blood pressure): How do you contemplate preventing hypotension, when it could be caused by many different medical conditions: if this woman only knew, she would not have read that script; spewing rubbish. Ion Loss of fluids can lead to decreased blood volume!
Blood loss: Significant bleeding reduces the amount of blood in the body
Heart conditions: Issues like heart failure or arrhythmias can affect blood flow
Hormonal disorders: Conditions affecting hormone levels can impact blood pressure. Severe infections sepsis can lead to dangerously low blood pressure.
Medications; certain drugs, such as diuretics or beta-blockers, can lower blood pressure. These factors can vary in severity and may require medical attention depending on the underlying cause! Blood pressure depends on how much blood the heart pumps and how difficult it is for your blood to flow through one’s arteries. Things that affect either of these factors, such…
Continue:
Now here is another crap, that I can elaborate on, but will not: There is nothing anybody can tell me about diabetes that I do not already know except if they told me that a cure was found recently: where it pertains to diabetes, I can suggest that you shut up, because there is nothing you or any Dominican politician or doctor can do to prevent it. I am telling you now it is a heredity diseases, cause by a defective gene, it is in my; and other diabetics DNA; the only way I can be cured of that diseases is if and when medical science finds a way to go into peoples DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and repair the defective gene: thus far no one has developed a method as of yet. Well with all things equal whereas you all have medical and all sorts of technology at your disposal not found elsewhere maybe I need to come and get me heart repair along with me DNA strand.
Sylvanie; in Dominica people talk a pile of bull; without any resolve, as simple as you talk prevention of even cardiovascular dieses it is not that simply; sometimes people live more than half their natural life not knowing they have cardiac issues: What is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease is a group of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. These diseases can affect one or many parts of your heart and, or blood vessels. A person may be symptomatic, physically experiencing the disease; or asymptomatic not feeling anything at all. Cardiovascular disease includes heart or blood vessel issues, including: Narrowing of the blood vessels in the heart, other organs or throughout your body. “Heart and blood vessel problems present at birth.”
Heart valves that are not working right! Irregular heart rhythms: So, if one is born with heart issues how can you prevent it. Lady I am living proof, I found out I had heart problems at age (7). I have a pacemaker in me!
Continue:
Note: the causes of different types of cancer can be categorized into three main groups!
.Physical Carcinogens: These include ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, and some viruses, or manmade which can damage DNA and lead to cancer, not forgetting fumes generated from motor vehicles
.Chemical Carcinogens: Substances such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke, alcohol, aflatoxin, a food contaminant, and arsenic; drinking water contaminant fall into this category.
.Biological Carcinogens: Certain infections from viruses, bacteria, or parasites can also contribute to cancer development.
Additionally, cancer is a complex group of diseases influenced by genetic factors and environmental exposures. So, Sylvanie state what preventable measures you developed in Dominica to deal with the genetic factor: Sylvanie a genetic factor are genes; or hereditary elements, that influence an organism’s characteristics, such as traits diseases: susceptibility to conditions!
Only in Dominica, there is a cure or preventable measure that can be taken to prevent the most difficult disease in the universes! “Non-Communicable Diseases include cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases, hypertension, and obesity, most of which are preventable.” (Sylvanie Burton). You see when people don’t know better they believe anything. This woman is not a medical doctor by any chance, as far as we know, she never major in Health Science; with that said regarding the scripts theory relating to cancer, I hate to break the news to you Sylvanie, as you exist, you are filled with caner cells, every human alive are born with cancer, it however proliferates in some people and not in others. If you have a prevention method for that in Dominica, perhaps you can explain why there are so many children less than a year old in hospitals, in the more developed nations suffering from different kinds of cancer?
To be continued:
For twenty plus years under the direct rule of the Roosevelt-led shameful enterprise NCDs have multiply alarmingly by many folds. At present, it continues on the same rapid trajectory.
In par-!ie-a-ment, all the President brought to this very alarming issue is empty rhetoric and her peculiar looking headwear.
NCDs are developed from unhealthy dietary intake. The vast majority of Dominicans live from hand to mouth. Consequently, they are compelled to consume the cheapest, fatty, oily, cholesterol laden, unhealthful foods thus the prevalence of these Non-Communicable Diseases.
By the way, the President is just reading verbatim from a prepared script handed to her written by one of Roosevelt’s most trusted and ardent enablers.