“Live Stronger, Longer” Blue Wellness Conference

Government is seeking to transform Barbados’ healthcare system by placing greater emphasis on prevention and healthier living, as officials warn that non-communicable diseases continue to threaten the quality of life of many citizens.

Speaking at the opening of the Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados’ two-day “Live Stronger, Longer” Blue Wellness Conference at University of the West Indies, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Davidson Ishmael, said the country was at a “moment for a national reset” in its approach to health and wellness.

Highlighting the increasing prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Ishmael said Barbados had to move beyond simply extending life expectancy.

“Of course we are living longer, but unfortunately and too often we are not living very well,” he said, adding that the aim should be to ensure people live those extra years in “good health, with independence, dignity and a high quality of life”.

He described the current period as an opportunity to “rethink, redesign and renew” the country’s approach to wellness, noting that Government was pursuing “a strategic shifting and evolution” from a healthcare system focused mainly on treating illness to one promoting health and wellness.

Ishmael said the country must move “from reacting late to acting early” and from focusing solely on disease “to enabling and supporting the very well-being of our people.”