Health Ministry Helps to Reduce Heart Disease Risk Factors

The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) has taken steps to help reduce the risk factors for heart disease in Jamaica.

Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on Friday (February 11), Director of Health Services Planning and Integration (HSPI) in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Naydene Williams, pointed to four areas in which the Ministry has made strides in this regard.

“In terms of actions, there is risk factor reduction, health promotion, improving quality of care and developing appropriate legislation which will provide an enabling environment,” Dr. Williams said. The HSPI Director explained that with regard to risk reduction, persons would first have to have their risks assessed. “The fact is that, whether we’ve never had any cardiovascular disease or whether we actively have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, there is an element of risk assessment that ought to be employed,” Dr. Williams explained. “We will do what we can for persons, depending on the risk, so if they are screened and found to be hypertensive or they are assessed and found to be at great risk because they are obese, then it means that the appropriate measures will be taken,” she added. In the area of health promotion, Dr. Williams highlighted the Jamaica Moves Programme, which has engaged schools, workplaces and the population in general. “We have been embracing Jamaica Moves in the population. We are looking at movement and exercise as well as healthy diets, and knowing your numbers are some of the components of the Jamaica Moves Programme,” the HSPI Director noted.

Dr. Williams pointed out that the Ministry has actively promoted its eight-point messaging for health. These include eat a variety of foods from all the food groups; eat a variety of fruits daily; eat a variety of vegetables daily, including peas, beans and nuts; reduce intake of salt and processed foods; reduce intake of fats and oils generally and reduce intake of sugary foods and beverages, and make physical activity a part of your daily routine.

With respect to quality-of-care screening and the provision of treatment modalities, Dr. Williams said that screening occurs at all levels of care from Type 1 to Type 5 health centres.

She pointed out that this is done even in the maternity clinics as maternal and childcare embraces the evaluation of blood pressure, “so even from that level you are able to determine if there is a risk”.

The HSPI Director pointed out that screening is also done at the curative clinics, which include nutrition, diabetic and hypertensive clinics. In terms of policy changes, Dr. Williams explained that a new model of chronic care is being delivered and that there are new screening guidelines for cardiovascular disease – hypertension guidelines, diabetic guidelines as well as integrated disease management. She added that the rolling out of electronic health records is an important way in which the Ministry is facilitating integrated care, “so I am just pointing out that the quality of care is an important strategy to increase how we manage the whole aspect of cardiovascular disease and the way to a healthy heart”.

The HSPI Director was speaking against the background of the observation of Heart Month, which is being marked during the month of February under the theme “the ‘Weigh’ to a Healthy Heart”.

The ‘Think Tank’ was organised by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica.