The Growing Burden of Non- Communicable Diseases in the Eastern Caribbean
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 6 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the Eastern Caribbean.
- The underlying risk factors are poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco consumption, and alcohol abuse.
- People are living longer, which presents new demands on the health systems in OECS countries*.
- Women represent a larger percentage of the population and the 65+ segment is growing relative to the younger segment.
- NCDs now surpass communicable diseases as the leading cause of death in the OECS countries.
- 70 percent of “Years of Life Lost” are now due to NCDs compared to a global average of less than 50 percent and 60 percent for low- and middle-income countries in the Americas.
download the full fact sheet as a pdf document here.