Of late many Anguillians are becoming very health-conscious in view of the increasing chronic and death-threatening diseases affecting the local population and the world in general. Not to be accused of neglecting its advisory and prevention role on the island, the Primary Health Care Department, in conjunction with the Health Education Unit and the Community Nurses, has launched a series of awareness programmes to help maintain healthy life-styles among the island’s inhabitants.

Nurses Civilla Kentish and Doreen James with NBA personnel

The most recent such activity was held by the health care workers in the courtyard of the National Bank of Anguilla on Wednesday, October 26. Health Educator, Nurse Civilla Kentish, spoke to The Anguillian on the matter. “We are having a health fair and we are focusing on the chronic diseases – diabetes, hypertension and cancer,” she said. “Especially in the area of diabetes, what we are finding is that more and more people are coming down with this disease. A couple years ago people were probably 60 or 70 years when they found out they were diabetics, but now we are having people in their 30s, 40s and even younger with diabetes.

“We know that diabetes has a lot of complications – one of them being damage to your kidneys; and we also know that we are having more and more people on dialysis …and we are trying to get people to come out, get some information to read about diabetes. There are a lot of things that individuals can do to prevent these conditions.

Community Nurses performing blood sugar tests

The good adage that ‘prevention is better that cure’ holds well. It probably takes half an hour to do the prevention, but once you get the disease you are lumbered with it.”
Nurse Kentish said that prior to this one, a health fair was held in April this year and covered a wider area of health issues but it was since decided just to focus on the three chronic diseases – diabetes, hypertension and cancer – where the big problems are. “The spin-off from them can be great, not only financially but time-wise in hospital or travelling. We are really interested in the prevention area of these diseases,” she stated.

The public is also being warned that hypertension and cancer-related diseases are also on the increase and there is information available about these conditions and treatment at the Health Education Unit.

Posters displayed during the Health Fair

During the Wednesday’s health fair, Nurse Kentish distributed various information pamphlets and displayed a number of awareness posters. Community Nurses carried out free blood sugar checks and there was also a nutrition corner. “We have included nutrition because with diabetes, hypertension and cancer, it plays a very important part in the health of patients,” she added. “The intention is to share with people foods that are good for them, foods that they can have liberally or in moderation so that they could still be basically healthy.”

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