ORANJESTAD - From April 15 to 19, 2024, public health officers, policy advisors and epidemiologists from the Department of Public Health of Aruba participated in a data analysis meeting with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington DC.

The aim of the meeting was to review the results and to explore implications of the STEPS survey conducted in the country in 2023.

Aruba conducted the STEPS survey on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in households between March and July 2023. It covered areas such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet, exercise, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, lifestyle advice, cancer screening and mental health. The results illustrate the high burden of these diseases and their common risk factors, which compromise the ability of health systems to adequately manage and implement appropriate policies and interventions. Aruba health authorities will officially launch the results of the STEPS study during a public event on May 17.

The 3-day workshop aimed to interpret research results and discuss strategies to help health services plan priorities and monitor and evaluate population-wide interventions while strengthening national capacity to conduct surveillance. This workshop included experts from all areas of NCDs and risk factors within the organization, such as tobacco control, harmful use of alcohol, nutrition, physical activity and primary health care.

Among the key areas for further action identified at the workshop, the national team highlighted overweight and obesity, alcohol consumption and disease management, particularly hypertension, diabetes and cancer screening. To evaluate possible lines of action, participants were introduced to PAHO's new initiative, Better Care for NCD, an integrated approach to improve the management of NCDs in primary care, and considered its implementation. Better Care for NCDs is PAHO's flagship initiative, which includes the various initiatives that many countries are already implementing, such as HEARTS for cardiovascular disease, MPOWER for tobacco, SHAKE and REPLACE for nutrition, the Global Diabetes Compact and the Cervical and Breast Cancer Strategies.

Acting at the primary level of care and using standardized diagnosis and treatment protocols in the early stages will help improve diagnosis, treatment and ongoing follow-up care to prevent premature deaths and address the country's key concerns. Better Care for NCDs places a strong emphasis on identifying population needs to improve primary care for NCDs, engaging communities, increasing the capacity of primary care providers and access to essential NCD medicines and technologies, and strengthening data collection and monitoring of NCD diagnosis, treatment and outcomes in the institutions. The 2023 Aruba STEPS survey is a major achievement in understanding the health status of the population regarding NCDs and their risk factors.

How does the STEPS research work?

The STEPwise Approach to NCD Risk Factors Surveillance (STEPS) is a simple, sequential, standardized method for collecting, analyzing and disseminating data on key NCD risk factors in countries. 

  • STEPS is a household survey that collects information through a personal interview (step 1), 
  • physical measurements of blood pressure, height and weight (step 2) 
  • and collection of urine and blood samples for biochemical analysis of glucose and cholesterol (step 3). 

The implementation of STEPS makes it possible to compare data within and between countries thanks to the standardized data collection.

Source: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)