Caricom heads of government will launch a regional campaign against chronic diseases, when they meet in Trinidad on Saturday. The one-day summit comes on the heels of recommendations from a Caribbean Commission on Health and Development (CCHD), established by regional governments in 2003. The Guyana-based secretariat reports that heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory illnesses account for half of the number of deaths in the region. Assistant Secretary General of Caricom Dr Edward Greene is concerned that treatment of those diseases is costing regional governments millions of dollars. "The cost of treating diabetes and hypertension for example in Jamaica is approximately US $208 million over a three year period, and for Trinidad and Tobago, US $484 million," he told BBC Caribbean. The CCHD is stressing the need for better food choices and greater physical activity among Caribbean populations. Dr Green acknowledged that the high incidence of chronic diseases is caused mainly by unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and tobacco and alcohol use. "What the (CCHD) report discovered was that physical education is almost a thing of the past in the curriculum of schools," he said. "That, together with access to fast foods and trans-fats, these are all cumulative." The Caricom official also pointed to obesity, which he said, starts as the basis of poor diet and lack of exercise. He said obesity affects 25 percent of the adult population in the region. Following Saturday's meeting it is hoped that regional leaders will take firm policy decisions aimed at helping curb the offending non-communicable diseases. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com