Barbados is considering the introduction of a national colorectal cancer screening programme as part of efforts to improve early detection and reduce cancer-related deaths, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced.
Speaking at the St. Philip Ideas Forum earlier this week, Mottley said the Ministry of Health is assessing the cost and logistics of implementing the programme but has not yet given final approval.
‘I know that the Ministry of Health is looking at it,’ she said. ‘They are trying to settle the numbers both in terms of the cost, the individual unit costs, and the overall scope of the programme.’
The announcement came after gastroenterologist Dr. Marek Stobinski urged the government to prioritize colorectal cancer screening, warning that the disease is increasingly affecting younger adults. He cited the recent diagnosis of colorectal cancer in an otherwise healthy 40-year-old patient, stressing that early detection can prevent the disease from spreading.
‘In the early stage, we can remove polyps in about 15 minutes and prevent them from developing into cancer,’ Stobinski said.
Mottley underscored the importance of screening, recalling the 1999 death of Barbados and West Indies cricket legend Malcolm Marshall from colon cancer at age 41. She said routine colonoscopies and the removal of precancerous polyps can dramatically reduce the risk of developing the disease.
St. Philip North Member of Parliament and physician Dr. Sonia Browne said follow-up care for patients identified as high risk remains a challenge but argued that screening and early intervention are far more cost-effective than treating advanced cancer.
Mottley also said the government is examining the potential introduction of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications, including drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, as part of a broader strategy to reduce chronic diseases.
While acknowledging the high upfront cost of the medications, she said they could lower long-term healthcare spending by reducing obesity-related complications such as diabetes, amputations and kidney disease.
‘We’re not going to end up being penny wise and pound foolish, but we will be strategic in our deployment of resources to help people help themselves and to save lives,’ Mottley said.