During national budget presentations in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly on December 15, 2021, Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Minister of Health et al. announced that the implementation of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Policy is on the agenda for 2022.
In her presentation, the Minister of Health listed a few initiatives that the government intends to undertake as part of plans for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the new fiscal year. Plans include the reactivation of the local NCD Commission, the implementation of the national SSB Policy and a Tobacco Control Act.
The Minister reported that improvements have been made in reducing the incidences and impact of NCDs in the federation. She notes that “epidemiological statistics have revealed that over the period 2015 to 2020…the number of deaths associated with diabetes and high blood pressure are notably trending downwards”. The average mortality data for NCD related deaths is reported to have decreased from 83% to 63% within the stated period.
View and listen to the excerpt clip below broadcasting the Minister of Health’s budget presentation on all plans to combat NCDs as part of the 2022 public health agenda.
