This content was published on June 16, 2023 – 4:00 p.m. June 16, 2023 – 4:00 p.m
San Juan, June 16 (EFE). – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, which addresses some of the deadliest diseases in small island developing states (SIDS). , the acronym in English).
PAHO said the statement was an “important outcome” of the SIDS ministerial meeting, which ends this Friday in Barbados, and of great importance as those countries were “disproportionately affected by noncommunicable diseases”.
Developed as part of an integrative process “for” and “by” SIDS, PAHO affirmed that NCDs and mental health problems cannot be adequately addressed without responding to the climate crisis.
In a statement, PAHO noted that SIDS are so badly affected by these diseases because of “their reliance on imported food, commercial influences and the climate crisis.”
The three-day SIDS Ministerial Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), PAHO and the Government of Barbados.
A new WHO report shows that eight of the 15 countries with a greater than 30 percent risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease are SIDS.
The report also notes that the ten countries with the highest SIDS obesity rates in the world are in the Pacific, where more than 45 percent of adults with obesity live.
It is also noted that mental illness is common in SIDS countries, affecting approximately 15.2% of the population in the Caribbean and 11.2% in the Pacific.
“Stigma, a lack of skilled workers and the impact of climate change contribute to a challenging situation in SIDS that deserves immediate attention,” the study continues.
The Bridgetown Declaration of 2023 outlines bold steps to address the multiple social, environmental, economic and business challenges that lead to NCDs and mental illness.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the challenges facing SIDS are interlinked and multifaceted.
“Climate change, environmental degradation, social and economic inequalities, and trade drivers for health are exacerbating the burden of noncommunicable diseases and mental illness,” he said.
Under the agreement, SIDS committed to taking a range of actions covering areas such as engaging the whole of society, accelerating policy implementation, securing investment, aligning all governments and reporting on progress.
SIDS consist of numerous Caribbean states, including from the Bahamas to Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda to St. Kitts and the Grenadines. EFE
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