Barbados is under siege from two pandemics – COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill.
He was speaking during a service at St George Parish Church to launch National Nutrition Month. The service was attended by members of the Ministry of Education, the Barbados Masters Seniors Athletic Club and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, among others. The theme was Nutrition without Boundaries.
“The interaction between COVID-19 and NCDs has been described as two pandemics which reinforce each other. We are now at a critical juncture as we develop a pathway out of the pandemic and towards recovery. We have some extraordinary health challenges but we also have new opportunities to implement bold measures for public health and not just food security, but nutrition security for Barbadians,” he said.
The health minister officially launched a Healthy Eating guide during the service and reiterated Government’s pledge to combat NCDs, saying the Barbados Food and Nutrition Policy would soon be presented to Cabinet, which would address foods sold in school environments as he said the “pervasive” sale of unhealthy foods at schools, remained a concern.
Gooding-Edghill said obesity was on the increase in Barbados and was a major risk factor to developing NCDs, with more children also recorded as obese. (CA)
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