MINISTER of Health Dr Christopher Tufton is calling on stakeholders in the manufacturing industry to rethink their approach as the country intensifies its fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Speaking Thursday at the launch of the ‘Congregation Taking Action against Non-Communicable Disease’ study at the Regional Headquarters of UWI in Kingston, Dr Tufton said it is time for stakeholders to make choices that will not only benefit their businesses but will also benefit the country.

“The industry has to recognise that what is good for the population is also good for them. That is the basic starting point, and the extent to which consumption habits and the consumption of certain items will negatively affect, ultimately, the person and by extension the society. This will also reflect negatively on those who provide those products,” he said.

The minister went on to say that leaders have a responsibility and they cannot continue to operate from a perspective that differs from what the science currently says, adding that a collaborative approach is necessary to address the needs and wants of consumers.

“From a policy perspective, we have a responsibility, we have an obligation to the greater good of the society. What I have said over and over again is that the consultative process, rather than be overly critical, let us sit down and work together and find ways to serve the demands and the needs and wants of the population in a way that demonstrates that we care about the well-being and the longevity, and the quality of life of those individuals,” Minister Tufton said.

The ‘Congregation Taking Action against Non-Communicable Disease’ study, which was launched Thursday, will investigate ways to reduce NCDs such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The researchers, led by Professor Rainford Wilks, propose that the moral and ethical status of places of worship within communities can enhance the acceptability and sustainability of health care, enabling early detection of NCDs, improving disease management, and reducing social inequalities in access to services.

The minister commended the move, as he noted that the fight against NCDs requires support from the entire nation, as currently the Caribbean’s epidemic of NCDs is the worst in the Americas.

According to the minister, NCDs cause more than 60 per cent of deaths in the Caribbean and are the leading cause for premature deaths in Jamaica. Currently, high blood pressure affects approximately 25 per cent of the Jamaican population.

“When I look at the data for NCDs it is quite alarming. Close to 70 per cent of deaths in Jamaica are as a result of NCDs and these include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, which affect almost invariably someone we know, or personally it affects us as individuals. Apart from the direct impact of NCDs on longevity and well-being, it affects national development and it contributes to the cost of health care and low productivity,” he said.

The health minister went on to say that, while people must drink, he urges that consumers choose the healthier options where available, as some of the products, based on the current findings of the National Food Industry Task Force, may need to be reformulated.

“People have to drink because thirst has to be quenched, but you have a variety of options to satisfy that thirst — water being the main one and the healthiest. But there are others that may not necessarily require the level of sugar content, so the food task force has looked at the reformulation of products and this is standard discussion now, not just in Jamaica but also in the world,” Dr Tufton said.

The study will train people in places of worship (PoWs) within communities as health advocates, as Professor Wilks said it is important to explore new ways to tackle NCDs.

“In the Caribbean, places of worship are legitimate community assets to which people turn for help. If we can leverage their influence in the NCD response, this would be a major advance and a lesson for developing countries worldwide,” he said.

The three-country study, which has also been set up in Guyana and Dominica, is a part of the Health Systems Research Initiative, which is funded by the Department of International Development, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Medical Research Council, and the Welcome Trust.

It aims to recruit 40 health advocates in four communities across three parishes. Supervised by a nurse, they will be trained in promoting physical activity, healthy food choices and patient care.