Published 18 May 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Please see the pdf link below with a press release from CARPHA Re: The Caribbean’s Blood Pressure Rates Rank Highest in the Americas
MEDIA RELEASE
The Caribbean’s Blood Pressure Rates Rank Highest in the Americas
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 17 May, 2021: Hypertension or raised blood
pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It is therefore not
surprising that the non-Latin Caribbean has the highest mortality rate due to cardiovascular
disease, accounting for 418 per 100,000 population.
Once more, this year, the Caribbean and the rest of the world will commemorate World
Hypertension Day under the theme: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live
Longer. CARPHA Executive Director, Dr. Joy St. John says, “The Caribbean region has the
highest prevalence of raised blood pressure in the Americas ranging from a high of 27.1%
to a low of 20.9%”. She adds, “It is a cause for concern and action when in all Caribbean
countries, hypertension is above the regional average for the Americas”.
CARPHA is therefore calling on governments, civil society, private sector, academia,
community-based organisations, and faith-based organisations to take a whole of society
approach and work together to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 25% by 2025 and
premature mortality by a third by 2030. The implementation of the following measures can
help the Region to achieve these goals:
• developing public education campaigns to improve public knowledge, attitude
and practice towards hypertension prevention and control
• establishing community screening programmes for the early detection of high
blood pressure
• ensuring capacity building of the health care workforce to accurately measure
blood pressure, prevent and treat hypertension
• promoting and supporting policies to reduce physical activity, unhealthy food
environment, tobacco use, alcohol use, air pollution and stress management
Through combined and coordinated efforts, CARPHA is also committed to continuing its
work to increase awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure and to address the risk
factors associated with the disease.
With the support of the French Development Agency (L’Agence Française de
Développement), CARPHA is leading the updating of a clinical guideline for the
management of hypertension in primary care in the Caribbean.
Other CARPHA-driven policies and guidelines include implementation of the six-point
policy package to create a healthy food environment, such as, the implementation of the
octagon-shaped front-of-package warning label “High-IN” model, where research has
shown within and outside of the Caribbean to be the best performing system to help
consumers correctly, quickly and easily identify products that contain excessive amounts of
critical nutrients.
Additionally, CARPHA has developed a Framework for Reduction of Sodium in Caribbean
populations, a major risk factor for hypertension. The Agency is urging individuals to make
this your year to commit to healthy living, a healthy lifestyle, and getting a regular check-up.
For those that have hypertension, CARPHA encourages you to take your treatment as
instructed by your health care provider.
We are stronger together.
