Acting Chief Executive Officer of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) and President of the Rotary Club of Road Town, Dr June M. Samuel said cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and illness in the Virgin Islands. Photo: YouTube

Scenes from the Matters of the Heart: Cardiovascular Symposium 2026 on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital Lobby. Photo: YouTube

Scenes from the Matters of the Heart: Cardiovascular Symposium 2026 on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital Lobby. Photo: YouTube

Scenes from the Matters of the Heart: Cardiovascular Symposium 2026 on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital Lobby. Photo: YouTube

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) and President of the Rotary Club of Road Town, Dr June M. Samuel, revealed this during Matters of the Heart: Cardiovascular Symposium 2026 held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital Lobby. 

This symposium was organised by the BVIHSA in collaboration with the various Rotary Clubs in the VI. 

Dr Samuel, in her remarks, said they were challenged to shed light and focus on cardiovascular disease as it is the leading cause of death in the Caribbean. 

“It so happens that it is also the number one cause of death and illness in the BVI.”

A call to action

The Rotary Clubs were encouraged by District Governor William Aiken to pay attention to cardiovascular disease. 

The Rotary family, Dr Samuel said, was happy to take on that mandate and felt that bringing some experts to tell the whole story would be beneficial. 

Attendees were provided with information to manage themselves if already on the cardiovascular disease spectrum, and if not, they were advised on risk assessment to decrease their chances of cardiovascular disease 

Among the panellists were Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr Rodger Miller, Dr Donald J. DiPette, Consultant Cardiologist Dr Handel Emery, and Rotary District Governor William Aiken. 

A growing problem

“We at BVIHSA, we know the challenges firsthand of providing services for persons who may be living with cardiovascular disease.”

Dr Samuel said cardiovascular disease is a known growing problem. In the absence of statistics, data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) from 2020 suggests that about ten thousand people are living with hypertension in the VI. 

“At the HSA, we know that 10 to 15 per cent of our admissions to hospital are related to cardiovascular disease.”

Awareness of cardiovascular disease is something the BVIHSA wants to promote among the public. 

“We want to provide you with the information that you can have so you can make the changes that you need to make.”