President Sylvanie Burton has sounded the alarm over the continued prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Dominica, revealing that more than 1,100 cases of hypertension were diagnosed between 2020 and 2025.
During the same period, Dominica recorded more than 600 new cases of diabetes and nearly 600 cases of cancer, according to health surveillance data the President cited during her address to Parliament.
During her budget speech presentation on Tuesday, President Burton said, “For a nation of our size, these figures are deeply concerning.”
She warned that diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and obesity continue to affect too many Dominicans and remain among the leading causes of illness and death in the country.
The President used her address to call for prevention to become a national priority.
She encouraged Dominicans to embrace healthier lifestyles through improved nutrition, regular physical activity, routine medical examinations, stress management and greater attention to mental well-being.
President Burton stressed, however, that tackling the country’s NCD problem cannot be left solely to the health authorities.
Families, schools, workplaces, faith-based organisations, communities and individual citizens all have a role to play, she asserted.
The President argued that Dominica’s development cannot be measured solely by major infrastructure projects or economic expansion.
As the country invests in new roads, renewable energy systems, tourism facilities and other major developments, she said, “equal attention must be placed on building a healthier population.”
She described good health not only as a personal asset but also as a national advantage, noting that a healthy population is more productive, innovative and capable of contributing to national development.
She said the ultimate measure of Dominica’s development must include, “the well-being, vitality and quality of life of its people.”
