A Question of Health

"In the Caribbean a staggering two of three deaths of people younger than 70 years results from a chronic disease."

In the Caribbean a staggering two of three deaths of people younger than 70 years results from a chronic disease.

⫿Ailments such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes are the leading causes of premature death in our region. This makes chronic non-communicable diseases our largest epidemic,??? said Health Promotions Officer Therese Prehay.

But how will asking health-related questions in the Census 2010 questionnaire help to curb this regional and national health crisis?

Responses to these questions will aid policy makers in drafting progressive health service programmes and will also allow public health officials to plan patient care at the community and societal level. In addition, government will be able to factor in the serious financial burden created by non-communicable disease.

⫿The only way we can be prepared is to have a current health picture of the country. We hope to get this from Census 2010,??? Mrs. Prehay explained.

While health matters are regarded as personal, respondents need not be concerned about breaching privacy. Individual responses cannot be provided to any agency outside the ESO, or supplied to any private sector group or industry.

⫿The Economics and Statistics Office’s confidentiality obligations to its respondents are of the utmost importance. And penalties for any breaches have been strengthened in the Statistics Amendment Law 2010,??? said Census Manager Elizabeth Talbert.

⫿In fact, more health-status questions were actually asked in the 2007 Survey of Living Conditions. Even though selected overall results were made public, the individual SLC data has never been provided to, or requested by, the insurance industry ??? or any other.

⫿Similarly, the individual data collected during Census 2010 will remain confidential,??? she concluded.
(GIS)

For the official Cayman Islands Government web portal, www.gov.ky:
Web title: Health Matters
Web blurb: Responses to Census 2010 health questions will guide health service policy and planning. Subscribe