WILLEMSTAD – Former PAR Member of Parliament Ana Maria Pauletta is calling for a broader discussion about how Curaçao treats diabetes and obesity, arguing that the island should examine new medical treatments and interventions alongside prevention, healthy eating and exercise.
In a social media post, Pauletta described the scale of diabetes in Curaçao as alarming, stating that approximately 20 percent of the population suffers from the disease — equivalent to one in every five people.
She referred to earlier warnings from Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) that the island is facing a diabetes crisis. According to Pauletta, the consequences include kidney damage, serious vision problems and, in severe cases, amputations.
Pauletta said CMC performs approximately 70 foot amputations annually and pointed to the growing demand for dialysis as another indication of the seriousness of the problem.
The former parliamentarian stressed that overweight and obesity are important risk factors for type 2 diabetes, with diet and insufficient physical activity playing significant roles. However, she questioned whether the traditional approach of simply instructing patients to take their medication, eat less and exercise more is producing sufficient results.
According to Pauletta, diabetes patients may struggle to understand their disease and how to manage it, while fear and stress can make treatment even more difficult. Some patients may stop eating properly or eventually give up on attempts to control their condition.
She emphasized that her argument should not be interpreted as minimizing the importance of prevention, healthy food, physical activity or the work of Curaçao’s healthcare professionals.
Instead, Pauletta believes the magnitude of the problem requires Curaçao to consider additional options.
“Can we continue doing the same things while seeing that the numbers are not going down?” she asked.
Pauletta pointed to newer treatments and interventions that could potentially form part of a more comprehensive strategy. Rather than replacing prevention, she said such treatments should be examined as possible tools for strengthening Curaçao’s response to diabetes and obesity.
She called for an open discussion about which interventions are effective and safe, which patients could benefit from them and which options would be financially and practically realistic for Curaçao.
Pauletta said the ultimate objective should go beyond weight loss. The priority, she argued, must be preventing disease, serious complications and the loss of independence and quality of life associated with advanced diabetes.
The former PAR parliamentarian indicated that the post is likely the beginning of a series on the subject. Her next contribution will focus on the economics of healthcare and the question of how much Curaçao is prepared to invest in creating a healthier population.