Members of the public are being urged to visit clinics and hospitals around the country to get screened for non communicable diseases.
Ministry of Health, Dr Neil Sharma said a screening for diabetes was important for those over the age of 30 and those with a family history of diabetes.
“Every person should have their blood tested for diabetes if a family member has a history for it. In our country, 60 per cent of people die over the age of 50,” Dr Sharma said.
At a recent United Nations Summit in September 2011 in New York world leaders declared NCDs a global priority and committed to taking actions to address the crisis.
Non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes - have been a hidden epidemic.
As described by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, NCD’s represent a public health emergency in slow motion. These preventable problems, largely caused by tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol, cause nine million preventable deaths before the age of 60 each year.
The Health Ministry has been allocated a doubled increase of funds from $400,000 to $800,000 in its 2012 National Budget allocation to combat the increasing of NCDs in the country.
Dr Sharma confirmed that his ministry was in its planning stages on allocating these funds to both the NCD best-buy initiative and the NCD prevention programs.
“Our team is planning and we are concentrating on diabetes, pressure, stroke, cancer and mental health diseases,” Dr Sharma said.
“We will look at ways to deliver the plans through the ‘Best Buy’ Initiative.”
The Ministry of Health is adopting a four-pronged ‘Best Buy’ approach towards fighting the NCD burden on the islands and will address reducing tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as increasing physical activity and food initiatives.
Dr Sharma cited poor food security as a main contributor to the obesity epidemic and other NCDs, and is reviewing current laws around junk food and beverage advertising that target teenagers.
“We have to control and have a screening program because a lot of young people are dying from NCDs,” Dr Sharma said.
“We have to take a very active stand to prevent diabetes.”