Fear of crime a threat to the nation’s health

Let me provide an example.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh launched a strategic plan for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

He said the ministry was going to spend US$48.4 million over the next five years. The money comes from a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

On that occasion both he and the IDB’s chief operations officer, Carina Cockburn, made some penetrating statements.

The minister said the population was “too sedentary,” and further, “People must not wake up in the morning, take their sugar and hypertension pill and then sit down for the rest of the day.

We have to get the country moving. A significant part is going to be bringing outdoor gym equipment to be used by the population and placed in strategic areas.

A significant part of the loan is going to be used for retraining and re-equipping our primary health response.” The IDB official called out some frightening statistics. She said that 80 percent of deaths in this country are attributed to non-communicable diseases and more than 50 percent of the population aged 15 to 64 are overweight or obese.

But there are some details about daily living which are clearly missing from the statements of these two officials.

Reading the newspapers and tuning to the electronic media assaults people’s sense of security.

Murder is out of control, because detection rates are abysmally low. There are several statements about corruption in the Police Service.

If there is any doubt about what I have just written, Prof Gerard Hutchinson wrote about the fear of crime five years ago. The professor, who is the head of department, clinical medical sciences at the UWI, St Augustine, stated: “Fear of crime has been associated with poorer health because of several mechanisms: less social activity leading to decreased social support, less outdoor activity leading to less physical exercise, increased levels of anxiety leading to decreased stress thresholds.

“Other negative health concomitants include heavier drinking, decreased resistance to pathogens and diminished psychological well-being and life satisfaction independent of personal achievements.

“The health of children is being compromised as they are forced to spend more time indoors and have consequently become more obese and neurotic. They have also been given enough incentive to stay inside with the proliferation of games and technological gadgets.

“Initiatives to decrease the fear of crime can improve health functioning, but the fear must first be acknowledged.” Maybe the Minister of Health really does not know. Maybe other ministers of health did not know. Maybe the IDB does not know.

AIYEGORO OME Mt Lambert