We live in a world of overlapping crises — climate change, rising seas, food price hikes, long-running wars, growing disease burdens, and contracting economies, just to name a few. The 39 nations classified as small island developing states, or SIDS, by the United Nations are among the most affected by these challenges, and yet the least responsible for them. While many of these crises manifest themselves as economic and social threats, the impacts on the health of populations are an often neglected issue.
In fact, SIDS are on the front line of many health threats. This is particularly true in the areas of noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, and mental health, with consequences for premature mortality and threats to livelihoods and well-being.
SIDS have disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory conditions. Pacific island countries account for nine out of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest prevalence of obesity among both women and men. Commercial and trade-related forces create persistent barriers to access healthy, safe, and sustainable diets. Tobacco use and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are also highly prevalent.
About the authors
Gaston Alfonso Browne
Gaston Alfonso Browne has been the prime minister and minister for finance, corporate governance and public private partnerships of Antigua and Barbuda since June 12, 2014. In 2012, he was elected leader of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, which he steered to victory in the 2014 general elections, becoming the fourth prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. He is the first prime minister to achieve three consecutive terms in office. Between 1999 and 2004, he served as minister for planning, trade, industry, commerce, and public service affairs. While in opposition in Parliament between 2004 and 2014, Browne returned to the private sector as a businessman and launched several successful ventures to include real estate development and management.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected World Health Organization director-general for a five-year term by WHO member states in May 2017. In doing so, he was the first WHO director-general elected from among multiple candidates by the World Health Assembly, and was the first person from the WHO Africa region to head the world’s leading public health agency. Prior to his election as director-general, Tedros held many leadership positions in global health, including as chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Board. Following his studies, Tedros returned to Ethiopia to support the delivery of health services, first working as a field-level malariologist, before heading a regional health service and later serving in Ethiopia’s federal government for over a decade as minister of health and minister of foreign affairs.
