by RICKEY SINGH

PLANS to collectively combat non-communicable diseases, and curb serious crimes, were among major decisions taken at the close of the 27th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.

The decision to go on the offensive, methodically, against non-communicable diseases, including obesity and mental illness, would also embrace taxing tobacco products and imposing a ban on smoking in public places.

Further, with studies revealing an alarmingly high level of obesity, including among the region's children, policies are to be implemented to:

* make physical education compulsory in schools; regulations introduced to standardise healthy meals prepared for school children; and food manufacturers would be expected to co-operate in the marketing of foods that show low calories and fat content.

Chronic, non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, stroke, heart diseases and hypertension, are now regarded as killing more people in the Caribbean than the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus, according to CARICOM's current chairman, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas of St Kitts and Nevis.

Mental illness and hypertension, resulting from stress, have also emerged as major health problems, said Douglas, who has lead responsibility for regional matters among CARICOM leaders, with a special focus on HIV/AIDS.

The health challenges were highlighted in a briefing Community leaders received from Sir George Alleyne, chairman of the Caribbean Commission on Health and Development whose report was accepted a year ago at the 26th CARICOM Summit in St Lucia.

Resulting from deliberations at last week's summit in Basseterre, Trinidad and Tobago has agreed to host a special consultation to deal specifically with a range of non-communicable diseases.

The region's health problems, crime and security and plans for hosting the ninth Caribbean Festivalof Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) in Trinidad and Tobago in September, were among overwhelming issues on the crammed agenda of last week's four-day summit.

The end-of-summit communiqué, which reflects decisions on human resources development, health and HIV/AIDS, said that a study received from Sir George, on "the macro-economic implications of non-communicable diseases", showed that the number of deaths resulting from diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases are ten times higher than the number resulting from HIV/AIDS.

The report also identified the high costs of treatment of diabetes and hypertension across CARICOM;

* on crime and security, the summit approved a regional strategy for ensuring a "safe and secured environment" for the hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007, the arrangements of which could prove advantageous in the longer term in facilitating intra-regional freedom of movement with the creation of a single economic space.

Components of the strategy include the introduction of a common visa policy applicable to nationals of some 46 countries, including CARICOM states; an advanced passenger information system (APIS); a system of intelligence-sharing; and the creation of an estimated 400-strong regional law enforcement and military operational team.

culture: for the forthcoming 9th CARIFESTA, the Caribbean's premier cultural event, scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago from September 22 to October 1, arrangements are being vigorously pursued to ensure the widest and highest quality of involvement from delegations from the Greater Caribbean, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

The Heads of Governments also agreed to provide financial support for the Regional Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts as well as to contribute to the financial sustainability of CARIFESTA. The Bahamas is to host the 10th CARIFESTA in 2008; and

* on the controversial issue of human trafficking and a United States arbitrary rating system, CARICOM leaders agreed that it was necessary to establish a "multilateral evaluation mechanism" that is impartial and transparent, and that such a mechanism could be advanced by deliberations at the wider level of the United Nations General Assembly.

The matter was placed on the summit agenda following a strong protest by Belize to a punitive Category 3 rating system by the United States that identified it as a source and transit point for the new global problem of human trafficking for the sex trade and exploitation of cheap labour.

In an effort to develop a "sustainable approach" to the problems of illegal migration and human trafficking, the CARICOM leaders also agreed to the creation of a technical working group to make specific policy recommendations within a year.