Lowest COVID cases but the sickest in the world? Why you should be concerned about Caribbean wellness

BY JANIECE CAMPBELL

COVID is a cause for concern, especially for members of the Caribbean diaspora. Data suggests people of black Caribbean descent are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to the Financial Times. Figures from hospitals in England provided by the National Health Service show that the virus is killing Caribbean people at nearly three times the rate of white people, where 89 black Caribbean people per 100,000 died versus 33 white people per 100,000, highlighting barefaced inequalities in the deadly effects of the disease. Though these statistics are quite alarming, thankfully, not all Caribbean islands are totally struggling with the virus and many are in fact, completely COVID-free.

However, there’s a problem at hand that is much bigger than the pandemic.

While the Caribbean is currently experiencing some of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates and even lower death rates in comparison to other countries, our people happen to simultaneously remain as the sickest people in the world, according to Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

“Clearly, the Caribbean has done something well. Our scientists now say in the Caribbean islands the virus has been contained, and that no doubt is a circumstance that is worth celebrating,” Beckles says. “But we have the highest per capita incident of hypertension and diabetes. 50% of the people in the Caribbean over the age of fifty have either hypertension, diabetes, or both.”

It’s true. Besides hypertension and diabetes, other chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, cancer and respiratory illnesses are wreaking havoc on our islands and are now the leading cause of premature mortality, accounting for nearly half of all deaths of persons under seventy years and for two out of three deaths overall. Many of these illnesses are caused by four modifiable risk factors: frequent tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Many young adults in the Caribbean often begin smoking and consuming alcohol as early as the age of twelve, an unfortunately harmful fact that contributes to the risk of substance abuse and premature death in adulthood, not to mention the awful negative effects these psychoactive substances can have on brain development. According to an example of framework on tobacco control presented by the World Health Organization, the percentage of users among adolescents aged thirteen to seventeen years ranged from 1.9% in Canada in comparison to 28.7% in Jamaica.

Nonetheless, let’s focus on the one necessity that has the potential to hurt us the most, yet we all love to partake in – food.

How could you not love Caribbean food? From savoury rice and peas to mouth-watering curry, people from across the world come to the islands just for our cuisine and also try to emulate our authentic finger-licking recipes!

The downfall to much of our food is the salt content, a tasty component that often leads us to high blood pressure, heart attacks and high cholesterol in the first place. Our tendency to consume deep-fried foods such as fish, chicken and dumpling also doesn’t help either, all of which are heavy in calories and laden with detrimental trans fats. According to the Pan American Health Organization, Caribbean people consume more than twice the amount that is good for them.

It’s not our fault why we eat this way. Outside of the aspect of taste, Caribbean peoples’ beautifully curated palates are very much rooted in slavery. Our enslaved ancestors were forced to survive off of whatever was provided to them by their owners. They often ate the remains and appendages of farm animals, including pig tails, cow tongues, livers and oxtail. Though critically lacking in nutritional value, slaves made these scraps as appetizing as possible by adding spices as well as large amounts of fat, sugar and salt. This diet was so engrained in their day-to-day routines that the majority of them continued to eat the same food years after emancipation. Until this day, much of what is eaten by Caribbean people is a continuation of the traditional food from slavery, and many people are getting sick and dying early because they’re unaware of how toxic these delicacies can be.

Most of the enslaved ancestors were taken from West Africa. The traditional West African diet was plant-based and comprised a rich variety of vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts. Meat was not regularly consumed as part of a daily diet, but mainly for special feasts and rituals. Dairy and eggs were completely omitted. Studies today show that when people of African descent eat a similar plant-based diet, it results in greater health, longevity and a considerably reduced risk of chronic disease.

In short, the plantation-inspired food we adore today is health-destroying evidence of our history of slavery and not a part of the actual West African cooking we were intended to consume.

The way I see it, there’s a good and a bad side to all of this. The bad part is that many of us have been partaking in these unhealthy habits for far too long. The good part is that many of the aforementioned risk factors for chronic illness can be controlled, which in turn could prevent some 80% of all heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes as well as 40% of cancers.

For good health and to help boost the good cholesterol, Caribbean people should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity for at least four days per week, according to Health UK. They also recommend quitting smoking in order to lower chances of heart disease and cancers and lowering alcohol intake to decrease the risk of strokes, heart and liver disease.

Our Caribbean islands are abundant in resources and wealth, and alike we as Caribbean people deserve to be abundant in health!