The Virgin Islands has taken initial steps to develop a policy framework for the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases. The Ministry of Health has employed the services of a technical consultant, Mary Collins, Director of the Secretariat for the British Columbia Healthy Living Alliance (BCLHA), who recently completed a six-day visit to the Territory.

During an interview with the StandPoint, Collins said her visit here was to assess the readiness of territory to move ahead with a comprehensive approach to prevent and control non-communicable diseases and to offer technical advice of recommendation of what that policy plan can entail.

The Director of BCLHA, an organisation that formulated the “Winning Legacy”, a Risk Factor Intervention Plan for British Columbia which saw the Government release a $25 million grant to implement the initiatives across the province, said more countries around the world are now looking at a more integrated policy approach in dealing with chronic diseases.

Collins, whose visit was facilitated by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) collaborating centre for non-communicable diseases in Canada, noted that for such a policy to work, it will need the involvement of not only the Ministry of Health, but all government departments. Moreover, it will require the help of the entire community.

“The real cost of the health care system in most countries is as a result of the growth in chronic diseases,” said the technical consultant.

She further noted that it is also important to integrate even at the risk factor level, and to look at individuals by addressing all the issues to help deal with chronic illnesses.

The consultant believes that it is possible for chronic diseases to be manageable based on the size of the Territory.

“I think it is a real opportunity here as a small country. I felt a lot of support, so far good positive results to do positive things,” said Collins who previously worked in Russia on a health care reform project in the Chuvash Republic and has participated in a chronic disease strategy for Russia.

She noted that an estimated 80 percent of diabetes and hypertension is preventable, but requires the engagement of everyone.

Among the basic recommendations to reduce chronic diseases are eating healthy, adequate physical activities, not smoking, and moderate alcohol, said Collins.

Collins, who has also worked as Manager of a national health policy project for WHO said though there is not a perfect model of how to deal with chronic diseases for any particular country, she noted that the way the Virgin Islands will deal with it will be based on the reality of what exists and its readiness for an integrated approach.

On the agenda

Ivy George of the Health Promotions Unit said the visit by Collins is very important and timely as one of the priorities this year is to establish the policy and action plan for the prevention of non-communicable disease.

George stated that the integrated approach is important to the Virgin Islands as they tend to work in segmentation and not the kind of comprehensive and long term approach as will be necessary to deal with chronic illnesses.

Collins is expected to send a report of her findings in early March and she will be making several recommendations.

The consultant warned that persons must be prepared to understand that addressing the issue of chronic non-communicable diseases will take time and will require the willingness to invest resources to do that.

And though she noted that some immediate steps can be taken to help those who are already living with chronic diseases, she stressed that it will take more time to create the kind of physical and social environments for healthy living, which are long term plans to preventing such illnesses.

During her visit here, the consultant met with various stakeholders including senior managers in the Ministry of Heath, the Cabinet Secretary, members of the BVI Diabetes Association and the BVI Cancer Society, the BVI Olympic Committee, Head of the Chronic Diseases Task Force Dr. Vincent Scatliffe and the Minister for Health Dancia Penn-Sallah. She also met with members of the Human Resource Association to discuss how the private sector can be part of the initiative.

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