Health ministers from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) began a meeting here on Tuesday against the background that the discussions will consider several longstanding priorities, most critically, the sustainability of the health workforce.
CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, addressing the opening of the 37th Special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Health, said that in the Caribbean region ‘we have seen sustained efforts to strengthen disease surveillance, expand laboratory capacity, and reinforce preparedness and response mechanisms for public health emergencies’.
She said that these collective actions remain fundamental to safeguarding regional public health.
Barnett said that for decades, CARICOM leaders have underscored the urgency of addressing human resource gaps in the health systems and that some progress has been made, for example, on harmonising standards and policies for nursing and midwifery education, practice, and regulation.
‘However, progress must now accelerate and resolve into action – action to stem the persistent loss of skilled professionals, and action to build critical capabilities. This requires moving decisively to advance practical and coordinated solutions,’ she said, noting that the work of the Human Resources for Health Caribbean Commission remains a critical platform for shaping a coherent and collective regional response.
‘Even as we work to build our workforce, we must confront arguably the most persistent and pervasive threat to our human capital, the epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs),’ Barnett said.
He noted that 25 years ago, in the Nassau Declaration entitled ‘The Health of the Region is the Wealth of the Region’, regional leaders ‘clearly articulated the link between health and economic and social development’ as they committed to, among several other critical health sector goals, the development of a Regional Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.
She said some years later, in 2007, with the Port of Spain Declaration, ‘Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic NCDs’, the region further demonstrated global leadership. Still today, NCDs continue to account for the majority of premature deaths across our Community, affecting persons in every age group.
‘This is not because nothing has been done. Quite a bit has been done to implement the 15 mandates set out in the Port of Spain Declaration, from moving, to eating well, access to medicine – all those things.
‘We have seen much progress, for example, with the goals of promotion of physical activity in schools and generally in our communities. There is increased access to medical intervention,’ she said, adding while there is excellent public education, the question remains have these efforts been enough?
‘The numbers suggest that much more needs to be done. Much greater effort is required, in particular, to improve access to healthy diets. This requires, firstly, increasing availability of affordable, fresh, meaning locally produced, food.
‘Production data shows that we have been making some good progress in the last several years with our regional plan, led by our Ministers of Agriculture, to reduce food imports by 25% by 2025 – now extended to 2030. There’s been significant investment in food production.’
But Barnett said improving the health of the region’s diets also means reducing consumption of mostly imported, highly preserved food ‘which we know normally means high salt and oil content – all those items that we know impact hypertension, diabetes- all those things that we need to be focusing on. In this effort, public education and point of purchase information are critical.
‘This is where I make a call for this Council to seek to refocus on addressing the long-delayed front of package labelling issue which is critical to informing consumer decision-making.’
Barnett said that in the Caribbean region, some countries are moving ahead. She said in South America some countries are leading by examples that the region can safely follow.
‘But we need to act. We must be decisive. Tackling NCDs requires a genuine whole-of-society approach, that engages sectors beyond health, including education, trade and finance, to implement the regulatory measures which are necessary to protect our populations by facilitating well-informed consumer decisions.
‘Since we have long acknowledged the link between health and economic and social development, the effectiveness of our health programmes, the sustainability of our health systems, and the strength and resilience of our economies and communities will depend on our ability to transition to proactive, preventative wellness,’ Barnett told the conference.