Did you know that, according to some sources, three Caribbean islands (Guadeloupe, Barbados and Martinique respectively) currently top the list of countries with the highest percentage of centenarians — ahead of Japan in 4th place?
But make no mistake: the descendants of this generation of centenarians will probably have a hard time maintaining this record. Today's Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are disproportionately affected by non-communicable diseases. In many of these paradise-like islands, the risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory illness exceeds 30%. Not to mention the damaging effects of obesity, which is obviously rising in these states (in the Pacific Islands, over 45% of adults are obese), and mental health problems that are often overlooked.
For that reason, Barbados committed to hosting the ‘SIDS Ministerial Conference on Non- Communicable Diseases and Mental Health’ in June 2023, in cooperation with the World Health Organisation.
The resulting Bridgetown Declaration sets out a series of bold measures aimed at improving care for people suffering from mental illnesses, combatting stigmatization and remedying the shortage of specialized personnel, among other things.
The Declaration also highlights the harmful effects of climate change, environmental degradation and poor nutrition on the rise of non-communicable diseases.
Will this be the wake-up call to reverse the trend and combat the damaging effects of junk food, evolving lifestyle and climate change?
Author: Jihane Sfeir
English Translation by Joy Lewis (https://www.aaatranslationservicesbb.com/en/