Health Ministry engages faith-based leaders to strengthen efforts to combat NCDs

The Ministry of Health recently hosted a productive engagement with faith-based leaders at its boardroom in Georgetown, with the aim of strengthening national efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

NCDs also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors.

The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.

In fact, NCDs remain the leading cause of death in Guyana.

During the meeting, discussions focused on expanding public education and awareness initiatives, improving access to early screening services, supporting the rollout and uptake of Government of Guyana voucher programmes, and developing community-appropriate outreach activities such as health fairs, screening drives, and referral support systems.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening preventative programmes in 2026 and recognised the critical role religious leaders and faith-based organisations play in building healthier communities nationwide.

Only recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the government will partner with religious organisations across the country to roll out a massive programme aimed at addressing a series of public health issues and to promote healthy lifestyles among citizens.

In 2021, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had revealed that the obesity rate for males in the country stood at 41% while in females, it was approximately 56.5%.

Last year, the Health Ministry had sounded an alarm to this growing problem, noting in a message to mark World Obesity Day that: “the dietary landscape in Guyana has undergone significant shifts, contributing to the obesity crisis. The rise of fast-food restaurants and increasing availability of processed, high-calorie foods have led to higher rates of unhealthy eating. Many of these foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium major contributors to weight gain and obesity-related diseases. Sedentary lifestyles and low levels of physical activity have further worsened the situation.”