CHRONIC CARE PASSPORT LAUNCHED Helping Anguillians Against Disease Risk Factors

Cross section of Health personnel and others

The recipients, drawn from throughout Anguilla, turned up at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Tuesday, September 6, where they were issued with what is called a “Chronic Care Passport” which qualifies them to receive the monitoring services. The Programme was launched by Minister of Social Development, Edison Baird, who later presented the Study Group with their packages.

Members of the Anguillian community participating in pilot project

Anguillian Dr. Sherlon Richardson, who is serving as the Chronic Non Communicable Diseases (CNCD) Focal Point Internist, explained what the Chronic Care Passport is all about. “It is a booklet, passport size, which can fit in your pocket,” he told The Anguillian. “It will have various measurements about how well your diseases, like diabetes, are being controlled. It will also have the three-month sugar test or the hemoglobin A1C, your blood pressure and your good and bad cholesterol. The idea is to track these [results] to determine if you are being controlled well. It is very easy for persons to see what was the level of their sugar test over the last three-months, and whether, after that period, it is much better.”
Dr. Richardson, who was one of the speakers at the launching of the Chronic Care Passport, spoke in part aboutthe high medical costs involved in treating diseases when out of control. He explained, for example, that the cost of dialysis treatment was $1,000 per day, amounting to $3,000 for three days, the duration period for the full session each week.

Cross section of attendees

Dr. TomoKonda, the PAHO Adviser on CNCD and Mental Health, based in Barbados, said that the non-communicable diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, posed a significant and severe threat to human health and development. The four diseases are responsible for an estimated 35 million deaths annually, representing 60 percent of all deaths globally.

She noted that up to 80 percent of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and over a third of cancers, could be prevented by eliminating their shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. Unless addressed, she said, the mortality and disease burden from these health problems would continue to increase.
“We, of PAHO/WHO, are extremely pleased to be here participating with the people of Anguilla in this very important item on your agenda for the prevention and control of chronic non-communicable dciseases,” Dr. TomoKonda said. “We would like to provide support for your country’s real need.

“I would like to sincerely congratulate your Minister, on the strong leadership that he has provided in tackling issues related to the chronic non-communicable diseases; as well as all the other key stakeholders, including the media and civil society, who have recognised the enormity of this problem and have stepped up to the plate to work together collaboratively to find solutions.

“I hope that this official launch of the Chronic Care Passport will bear significant fruit and assist in paving the way forward for an effective, multi-sector response to the prevention and control of these diseases.”

Minister of Social Development, Mr. Baird, said the mainstay of care for chronic disease was the responsibility of the primary or community care team, supported by the patients themselves with better knowledge about managing their conditions. He stressed that a key feature of the future health care system in Anguilla must be that care providers were rewarded for prevention, not just treatment.

Mr. Baird continued: “As a commitment to the fight against chronic non-communicable diseases, my Ministry is in the process of establishing a Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Commission. Among other matters, the Commission will advise the Minister of Health on chronicnon-communicable disease policies and legislation in relation to CNCD prevention and control through the establishment of a National Plan.

“Aware that this situation is occurring in Anguilla, due to an increase in several of these common risk factors and an inadequate societal response to disease management, the Ministry of Health has partnered with the Pan American Health Organisation to launch the Chronic Care Passport. It is to meet the [needs of the] participants who will be involved in the diabetes pilot project that will be conducted over the next three months. You can be assured that the recommendations from this project will give the Ministry the impetus to accept and implement the salient recommendations.”

Other speakers were Health Planner, Lynrod Brooks, who chaired the launching ceremony and gave the opening remarks; President of the Diabetic Association, Lynnette Rogers, who spoke about the diseases and expressed appreciation for the pilot project; Nurse Gracita Christopher, Coordinator, Community Nursing, who assisted with the launching of the project; and Nurse Colvette Whyte, Health District Manager, who gave the Vote of Thanks.