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The changing face of paediatrics in the English-speaking Caribbean

R H Gray1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Child Health, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, WI.

The West Indian Medical Journal
|November 11, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Childhood health in the Caribbean has shifted from infectious diseases to non-communicable conditions and injuries. Urgent investment is needed in perinatal care, adolescent health, and injury prevention to improve child survival rates.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Caribbean Health

Background:

  • Childhood mortality and morbidity patterns in the English-speaking Caribbean have undergone a significant epidemiological transition over the last 40 years.
  • Previously dominant infectious diseases like gastroenteritis and malnutrition have been superseded by acute respiratory illnesses, perinatal conditions, and physical injuries as leading causes of child mortality and morbidity.
  • Despite a decline in infant mortality, primarily due to reduced post-neonatal deaths, a substantial portion of the population remains under 15 years old.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the changing patterns of childhood mortality and morbidity in the English-speaking Caribbean.
  • To identify emerging health challenges and recommend areas for focused intervention and resource allocation.
  • To highlight the need for sustained investment in regional health and educational services.

Main Methods:

  • The study is based on an analysis of epidemiological trends and health statistics over a 40-year period in the English-speaking Caribbean.
  • It synthesizes data on causes of death and illness among children, examining shifts in disease prevalence.
  • The analysis considers demographic changes, including population growth and age distribution.

Main Results:

  • Acute respiratory illness, physical injury, and perinatal conditions are now the primary causes of childhood death and illness, replacing infectious diseases.
  • There is a growing prominence of perinatal disorders, psychosocial issues, and chronic childhood conditions.
  • Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and pulmonary tuberculosis have re-emerged in some areas, linked to adverse economic conditions.

Conclusions:

  • There is an urgent need to prioritize perinatal and adolescent health, childhood disability, injury prevention (accidental and non-accidental), sexual abuse, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  • Continued support and expansion of immunization programs are essential.
  • Addressing these challenges requires significant, long-term financial and human resource investment in the region's health and education sectors.

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