Findings for Trinidad and Tobago
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. Many factors contribute to its constant increase. Two of these are unhealthy eating habits and a lack of exercise. Sugary beverage intake is a main source of calories with high sugar content and no other nutrients. Research has that excessive consumption of such drinks increases the risks of obesity, diabetes, cardiac conditions, cerebrovascular and musculoskeletal disorders, renal failure, dementias, asthma, and cancer.
The UWI HEU, Centre for Health Economics, in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) in Argentina, was involved in a research project with the man objective of supporting decision-makers in the implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage control policies by generating country-level, evidence-based knowledge. Funded by the International Development Research Centre, the project is entitled, “Empowering Healthcare Decision-makers to achieve Regional Needs for Sugar-sweetened Beverages Consumption Control in Latin America and the Caribbean”.
The first project activity was a two-day regional policy dialogue coordinated by IECS, which took place in May 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The workshop brought together 35 participants from Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Participants included representatives from the research teams from each of the four study countries (Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago), as well as decision-makers, academicians, civil society representatives, and strategic partners from the LAC region.
Presentations were delivered by country representatives from each study country, who detailed policy measures implemented to reduce the excessive consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. Participants from Trinidad and Tobago included representatives from the HEU, Centre for Health Economics, the Ministry of Health, and the Trinidad and Tobago Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance/The Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
A key output of the workshop was participants’ identification of priority interventions and perceived barriers to implementing new, and enforcing existing interventions, in each study country. They also discussed the main information needs that an economic model should satisfy to be useful to policy-makers.
The second component of the study involved estimating the burden of disease and costs associated with the excessive consumption of sugary beverages in the four study countries, building on the information needs identified in the regional policy dialogue. Part of the research work was carried out in 2020 by investigators and healthcare decision-makers at universities, research centres, and public institutions from Argentina (IECS), Brazil (ACT Promoção da Saúde), El Salvador (Ministry of Health) and Trinidad and Tobago (The UWI HEU, Centre for Health Economics). The results of this study were obtained by using a mathematical model developed by the research team. The model allowed for estimating the probability of being overweight, suffering from disease, or death due to diabetes and different conditions associated with the excessive consumption of sugary drinks.
Results for Trinidad and Tobago show that excessive consumption of sugary beverages is associated with increases in diseases, deaths and rising healthcare costs. Utilising 2020 estimates, the model estimated that every year, 387 deaths in Trinidad and Tobago may be associated with the excessive consumption of sugary beverages and 9,000 years of healthy life are lost due to premature death and disability.
Further, study estimates showed that approximately TT$156 million was spent in the public healthcare system to treat diseases associated with excessive consumption of sugary beverages. This was roughly 1.37 percent of Trinidad and Tobago´s yearly investment in healthcare. Of this amount, approximately TT$13 million was estimated for the treatment of overweight and obesity (in childhood, adolescence and adulthood for both sexes). The majority, TT$143 million, was associated with the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular and renal disease, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer and other conditions, which may be associated with the excessive consumption of sugary drinks.
In line with the study objectives, the researchers are hopeful that the study results will raise awareness about the potential impact of excessive sugar consumption on both the health system and the economy.
More information on the study results is available at: https://sta.uwi.edu/fss/heu/fiscal-policy-taxation-sin-taxes and www.iecs.org.ar/sugar.
