Barbadians are generally aware of the staggering statistics that 80 per cent of our deaths are attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). What is also known, as an unhealthy diet often contributes significantly to the early onset of NCDs while diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats have been found to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease among others.

A known fact is not always an achievable reality and the most common lament to healthy eating is the belief that healthy foods cost more than highly processed foods that are typically less nutritious. Healthy foods are often seen in the context of food for the rich and out of reach of the economically less fortunate.

So, the question is, does healthy eating actually cost more? And the answer to that question is complicated.

In a recent attempt, at a business place I am associated with, offering some treats to our team, we chose the healthier option of fruits. It is worth noting that to our surprise a small bag of basic fruits for each staff member was 100 per cent more costly than industrially produced muffins, which we did the previous month. If at that micro level, the cost difference between healthy and non-healthy is that significant, imagine the challenges at the macro level.

Professor Winston Moore, deputy principal of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, was recently quoted in the press acknowledging that the cost of healthier options was deterring people from buying nutritious food. A 2022/2023 study, Mapping Taxes on Healthy Foods, he conducted in collaboration with Dr Antonio Alleyne, found that food imports high in sugar, sodium and fats were taxed at 35 per cent but healthier foods were taxed at 10 per cent higher.

Decisions regarding food choices are based on a variety of factors including cost, taste, convenience, and availability. Many people feel that nutritious foods cost more than foods high in calories and low in important nutrients. In an effort to save money, people most likely will select less nutritious foods when shopping resulting in less healthy meals and snacks. And that certainly has been the response of many people who we speak with about eating healthier.

Government policy coupled with awareness and behavioural change are the calls that emanate from groups working in the space to combat this existential threat of NCD-related illness and death. Making healthy foods more affordable and easily accessible must be placed up front and centre on the government’s agenda. To continue to kick the can down the road on making healthy foods affordable when evidence abounds on the price differences between healthy and unhealthy foods is to condemn our generation and future generations to NCD-related illnesses and deaths.

Making healthier foods more affordable and easily accessible helps in creating the environment and culture for behavioural change. If the pocket of average-income householders factors significantly in eating choices, then removing that hindrance places healthier options higher on the selection decision-making process.

A walk through our well-known Cheapside Market on a Saturday morning is refreshing to see Barbadians buying produce, fruits, and vegetables. The accessibility, freshness, and bargains there are perhaps better than in other places. But healthier food options cannot only be in our markets, they must be widespread across the length and breadth of Barbados and Barbadians should appreciate affordable, locally home-grown foods over a less healthy, less nutritious, cheap food import.

When discussing the cost of healthy eating, it is important to consider the cost of not incorporating nutritious foods into meals on a regular basis. Unhealthy dietary patterns that consist of high amounts of sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and calories, are linked to higher rates of chronic diseases such as overweight and obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, among many others. Not only is the risk of chronic disease greater, but the financial costs of treating the diseases listed are expensive. The majority of Barbados’ health care budget is spent on persons presenting themselves to the QEH or polyclinics with an NCD or NCDs. Consider the millions that can be saved by reducing the incidences of NCD-related illnesses.

Suleiman Bulbulia chairs the National NCD Commission

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The Vector Control Unit will continue its fogging programme this week with emphasis on Christ Church and St James.

When the exercise starts on Monday, June 10, the team will focus attention on Christ Church. The areas to be sprayed are Upper Carters Gap, Rollins Road, Bournes Land, Goodland Gardens, Highway U, and environs.

The following day, Tuesday, June 11, the team will make the first of four stops in St James when they fog West Terrace Avenues 1 to 16, West Terrace Heights, and surrounding districts.

A return to that parish on Wednesday, June 12, will see fogging at Wanstead Terrace 1 to 11 Avenues, Oxnards, Oxnards Heights, and environs.

The following day, Thursday, June 13, the Unit will spray Orange Hill, Orange Hill Development, and neighbouring districts.

The programme concludes on Friday, June 14, in the St James areas of Haynesville, Durants Village, and environs.

Fogging will run from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., each day. Householders are asked to assist in the control of the Aedes aegypti mosquito by opening all windows and doors to allow the fog to penetrate. Persons with respiratory problems are asked to protect themselves from inhaling the fog.

Pedestrians and motorists should proceed with caution when encountering fogging operations on the street and parents are instructed to prohibit children from playing in the fog or running behind the fogging machine.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to affected communities as soon as possible. (PR)

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness’ mosquito reduction programme will forge ahead this week when the Vector Control Unit visits areas in the parishes of Christ Church and St Michael.

Fogging will begin on Monday in the following Christ Church districts: Coral Lane, Seaside Drive, Seclusion Road, Ocean Mist Drive, Enterprise Coast Road, Light House Drive, and surrounding communities.

The Unit will remain in the south of the island on Tuesday, when it visits Upper Carters Gap, Rollins Road, Bournes Land, Goodland Gardens, and Highway U.

On Wednesday the team will take the fogging programme to St Michael, where it will stay for the remainder of the week. The Unit will go into Skeete Road and avenues, Ivy and avenues, Hoytes Road, Gittens Road, and environs.

The next day, Thursday, Howells Cross Road, Pinder Gap, Back Ivy, Mayers Road, Proute Road, and Dean’s Road will be targeted.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday in Gittens Road, Gittens Gap, Martinique Road, Lovers Road, Welches Terrace and Avenues, and neighbouring districts.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the spray.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time. (PR)

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In the Senate debate on the Child Protection Bill, Senator Andrew Mallalieu suggested there was a decline in healthcare and education with high levels of charitable donations to the healthcare system, and private schools becoming the main choice of students seeking secondary education.

But Senator Lisa Cummins, the leader of government business in the Senate, pushed back on the real estate executive’s charges, saying healthcare and education have been public policy priorities since independence in 1966.

Senator Mallalieu referenced key points from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is cited in the child protection legislation that was passed last week in the lower House of Assembly.

“Point 24 of the convention states children have the right to the best possible healthcare,” he said. “Point 28 says every child has a right to education, with primary education being free…. Point 29 notes children’s education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities.”

While acknowledging the convention sets minimum children’s rights standards which countries can exceed, Senator Mallalieu questioned the Mottley administration’s priorities.

“Having understood that, I worry greatly about what our priorities have been,” he declared.

On healthcare, the senator said: “We hear of difficulties in getting care at hospitals, polyclinics, wherever it might be. I worry when I see the amount of private charity money that has to go into our healthcare system to keep it running.”

Regarding education, the businessman lamented a perceived decline: “My recollection of the 11-Plus is we all aspired to go to a public school, that’s where the best secondary education was available…. Today, that’s completely reversed. The first choice is not to go into the public school system, because it’s a difficult place. If you’re not a top child and you can’t teach yourself, you will possibly not get a good education there.”

Senator Mallalieu stressed the importance of better working conditions and higher pay for teachers and healthcare workers: “If it’s going to be your top priority, I would think the people who work in those areas would be our smartest people who are paid the most and work in the best conditions, and I am fearful today that that is not true.

“In our school system, it is not the best facilities. Our teachers are not paid the highest salaries. Our doctors, nurses, healthcare providers are not working in the best conditions,” he lamented.

But defending the administration’s record, Senator Cummins said education and healthcare have been the two largest areas of public spending for successive governments since Independence.

It was “misleading to attempt to say that those have not been government priorities”, she said.

Acknowledging historical investment in health and education, Senator Mallalieu called for even greater emphasis: “Perhaps I would like to see even more prioritisation.”

He noted recent positive steps such as the government’s acquisition of the defunct Ursuline Convent private school, and partnerships with Ivy League universities in the US, including a memorandum of understanding with Columbia University’s teaching college.

Reiterating his support for the Bill and the need for an ongoing focus on the UN children’s rights convention, the independent senator said: “I do hope that we will focus on these as we have done and will continue to do, so that our children can have the best education and can look after the [Senate] president and I in our old age.”

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Newly appointed chief executive Neil Clark has outlined a comprehensive vision to overhaul healthcare delivery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. 

Clark, a seasoned healthcare executive who took up his post on April 2, laid out plans to address pressing issues and ensure “citizens receive the quality care they deserve”.

A key priority is improving the long-troubled accident and emergency (A&E) department, which Clark acknowledged had been blighted by overcrowding before its recent expansion. “It was very cramped, very tight. It didn’t look good. It didn’t feel good. Too many patients waiting, family members with them,” he said. “Working in that department must [have been] extremely stressful for the staff.”

But Clark insisted enlarging A&E alone would not solve the systemic problems. “It’s not just about having the A&E department the right size. What happens in the A&E is a consequence of a whole system, a whole healthcare system.”  

The CEO said he intends to work with polyclinics, private clinics and the Ministry of Health to educate the public and reduce unnecessary A&E visits. “A&E departments are for accidents and emergencies. Not all the patients in the A&E department are accidents or emergencies,” he said. “Some of those emergencies could have been avoided … people’s strokes, people’s heart attacks, and people’s chronic conditions could be managed better, stop them coming into the hospital when they’re acutely ill.”

Clark outlined a “holistic approach” to improving patient flow from admission to discharge, calling for coordinated efforts across departments like pathology and radiology to optimise operational efficiency. He also plans to review procedures for dealing with escalating A&E demand.

Lengthy waiting times for outpatient appointments and diagnostics are another “challenge”, Clark said, citing a lack of centralised data collection. But he revealed a new health information system will be implemented later this year to identify and address bottlenecks.

“We don’t have a health information system, so it’s quite hard sometimes to capture information on the waiting times,” he said. “We should be going out for tender for that system this summer, so we can bring in a system that will help us then gather the information to make sure that we’re very clear on where the pain points are.”

Clark also plans to closely scrutinise the functioning of the hospital’s wards to ease bottlenecks preventing patients from being transferred out of A&E.

“If the A&E department’s full because it can’t move patients from the department onto a ward, upstairs into the medical beds, we need to make sure that the wards are functioning as efficiently and as effectively as possible,” he said.

“So we’ve already started some work with the medical leads and how we can maybe manage the medical beds slightly differently to improve flow through those inpatient beds.”

At the other end of the care pathway, Clark said he must collaborate with external parties to ensure discharged patients have appropriate places to go, highlighting the need for “where will the elderly for care patients go and what are the different options”.

To drive these ambitious reforms, the new CEO has introduced “balanced scorecards” to identify top priorities and risks. He has also tasked the chief operating officer with developing “plans for how we’re going to tackle some of those areas” including outpatient waits, theatre delays and cancellations, and A&E waiting times.

Clark insisted data analysis would be central, saying: “I’ve already requested and redirected the chief operating officer to focus on what I call patient flow, how patients flow through the system and quality outcomes.”

The CEO, who has hit the ground running just weeks into his tenure, projected confidence that the QEH can turn around its fortunes despite long-standing issues.

“As a team of people, we can find solutions to this and I’ve seen that done in different places before,” Clark affirmed. 

(RG)

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On Thursday May 23, 2024 an eight-month-old child was referred to the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by a private medical practitioner. The child arrived at the AED in an unconscious state and died following failed resuscitation efforts.

It is known that in keeping with common practice for children of such age, the child had been immunised. The immunisations were administered at the St Philip Polyclinic including the two, four- and six-month vaccines, with the last dose being administered on April 2, 2024.

The MHW, however, wishes to clearly state that the child had not received the MMR vaccines as being misleadingly stated in the public domain. The policy of the MHW is that minimum age at which this vaccine is administered to children is one year of age.

In keeping with the Laws of Barbados, in cases of sudden and unnatural death, an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of this unfortunate death. The MHW takes this opportunity to extend its condolences to the family of the deceased child.

Vaccines have been issued by the expanded programme of immunisation in Barbados since the late 1970s. The vaccines used locally have been demonstrated to be effective at reducing the risk of disease. The Ministry of Health and Wellness reminds parents to keep their children’s vaccinations up-to-date according to the recommended schedule to the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Ministry further wants to clarify the incorrect information on COVID deaths in the public domain. These numbers stand at 648 with no deaths in the last reporting period of April 13th and May 10th. The COVID19 vaccine was made available to the public by Ministry of Health and Wellness during the pandemic as part of its commitment to use evidence-based measures to reduce the risk of severe illness and death.

The MHW urges members of the public to desist from spreading alarm amongst the population through the practice of maliciously circulating misinformation.

(Statement made by Dr Ingrid Cumberbatch, Senior Medical Officer of Health (South), Ministry of Health and Wellness on 26th May 2024.)

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Michelle Straughn, walk manager for the event, speaking to the media after the starter fired the pistol to get walkers, runners, rollerbladers, skaters and children on scooters, underway, expressed her enthusiasm about the growing numbers and the importance of raising awareness for prostate cancer.

“This is now our second walk for the Prostate Cancer Walk. We started last year, it was our first. And we’ve certainly done a lot better this year in terms of numbers,” Straughn said. 

“We were expecting maybe about, I would say, 2,000 persons. And I believe that we would have gotten that. And we’re all excited because this means that awareness is spreading.”

Rollerbladers also took part in this year’s event.

She noted the initiative, aimed at bringing awareness to prostate cancer, served a crucial role as there was a critical need for early detection, not only for cancer but cancer of the prostate.

“It’s so important. The early detection of prostate cancer, as you know, is all about the males. And we have to protect them. So we’re very, very happy to see the response. And we know that next year will be better, because we have a bigger and better plan for next year. Maybe a lot more activities on the day. Listen out for it.”

There were some changes made this time around to the route, to accommodate different participants’ preferences. Whereas last year there was one route, Straughn explained some members of the public called for there to be a run in addition to the walk and this time around, the run was added along a separate route. (RG)

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Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday presented Prime Minister Mia Mottley with the Director-General’s Award for Global Health.

Mottley is one of three people being awarded this year.

The awards are usually presented during the WHO’s most important meeting of the year — the World Health Assembly, which is being held on Monday. However, Mottley was presented with the award at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday to allow her to travel to Antigua and Barbuda for the United Nations fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), which begins on Monday.

Back in 2019, the WHO Director-General gave Global Health Leaders Awards to a number of individuals who have shown outstanding commitment to public health goals. The awards are now presented on an annual basis to selected individuals or groups of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership to achieve tangible health impacts.

In her acceptance speech, Mottley thanked the WHO Director-General for being there and for steadfastly supporting small countries.

“[The] COVID pandemic for us was the wild wild west in every sense of the word. When we could access goods, we learned that export restrictions would be put on them. When we could access vaccines, export restrictions were also put on them. When we could pay, we couldn’t get orders because our orders were simply too small to be taken, whether for equipment or medicines,” Mottley said.

Both the WHO and the Pan American Health Organization stood up for the region, Mottley said, while also paying tribute to PAHO’s Director Emeritus Dr Carissa F Etienne who died last year.

“You were the two people who were directly accessible at midnight … and that speaks volumes to the difference you made in saving lives — I dare say hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives across the Small Island Developing States,” Mottley said.

“I thank you on behalf of my country for the honour which you are conferring on me. I take it not as my own, I take it as an honour to Barbados.”

Mottely also saluted the island’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, “who was on the front-lines, but I also want to salute my Ministers of Health, Lt Col Jeffrey Bostick and Senior Minister Jerome Walcot, who effectively carried and continue to carry the day-to-day battle in this critical area of health.”

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The saying that age is just a number could easily be applied to 100-year-old Veronique Minnie McCollin.

Unlike many others in her age group, the island’s latest centenarian is independent. She takes her own baths, cooks her own meals and on top of that can boast of good health as she has no illnesses.

At birthday celebrations at her house in Jackson Land, Silver Hill, Christ Church on Friday, Minnie, as she is affectionately called, told journalists that she was overjoyed to reach this milestone, even though she did not think she would. She said she loves cooking, especially making soup and makes sure to “put in everything”. She also likes to eat rice with vegetables and green bananas with salt fish.

Regarding her daily routine, she likes to be outdoors soaking up the fresh air. She said after taking her bath and drinking tea she would go outside and pray. Afterwards, she would watch people pass along the roadside. 

Minnie added that she came to Barbados after landing a job opportunity to take care of someone’s child. Her children said she left Dominica at age 18. 

She became known from then onward as a domestic worker of excellence and was showered with tributes during the celebrations.

Matriarch of the Jordan family, Marsha, said Minnie took care of her children and household needs for 35 years.

She described the birthday girl as a wonderful woman, who had a kind, calm and pleasant personality. She said she was also grateful for the nurture she gave her children and values she instilled in them. 

Minnie, who at one point lived in The Pine, St Michael, did small domestic chores after her time at the Jordans. Her children said her last official year of work was 2007.

President Dame Sandra Mason also paid Minnie a special visit and had a lively chat with the centenarian. 

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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This was the warning from Senior Environmental Officer responsible for vector control Dale Holligan as she joined her colleagues and partners of the Ministry of Health for a National Mosquito Fair. The event highlighted the integrated measures that the government uses to control mosquitoes, and encouraged the public to become more involved in mosquito prevention.

“Mosquitoes are more than just a bother; they are among the deadliest creatures out there,”  she warned, pointing to the recent dengue outbreak in Barbados earlier this year, as evidence of the threat they pose.

“We wanted to bring more public awareness to the mosquito population, their breeding habits, life cycle, habitats, and the surveillance and resistance testing conducted by the Ministry of Health,” Holligan told Barbados TODAY.

The event saw participation from Rentokil, Armstrong Agencies, and Massy, demonstrating a collaborative approach to mosquito control.

“It was not hard to get them on board,” Holligan said. “These organisations already work with vector control. It was best to have them here to show the public that it’s not only the government involved; there are other entities and products available for mosquito control.

She detailed practical steps residents can take to reduce mosquito breeding sites, especially with the rainy season approaching. “The first thing people need to do is check around their homes for containers that can collect water. If you need them, put them in areas where mosquitoes can’t reach them. If you don’t need them, discard them,” she advised. “Mosquitoes lay eggs in containers waiting for water. When it rains, these eggs develop into larvae. So, protecting or discarding containers is crucial.”

Holligan also urged residents to inspect their roof gutters, animal water containers, and any natural or man-made depressions where water might collect. “We need to be vigilant about our surroundings and ensure there are no areas where water can settle and provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.”

Addressing the broader public health implications, Holligan noted that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads dengue, also carries other diseases like chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. “We don’t see yellow fever or malaria here because those diseases are carried by different mosquitoes. However, the threat remains significant.”

Despite ongoing efforts, the senior environmental officer acknowledged the challenges in getting the public to take preventive measures seriously. “People tend to be more responsive after experiencing one of these diseases. Until then, mosquitoes are often just seen as nuisances,” she said.

The event is part of a larger outreach programme aimed at increasing public participation in vector control. “You can expect to see more events like this, possibly in combination with rodent control initiatives,” Holligan confirmed.

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