Recruiting of children into gangs and the pressure on the health care systems are among the concerns raised in a just-released report on firearms dealing and public health in the Caribbean.
“The Caribbean region continues to suffer from high rates of gun violence and has seen an increase in homicide rates since 2016, briefly tempered by COVID-19 restrictions.
Children in gangs
“Across the region, homicides and robberies, mostly committed by young men using firearms, remain a persistent trend. Additional concerns and worrying developments include the recruitment of children and adolescents into armed gangs and criminal networks in several countries and territories; the illicit circulation of firearm components and accessories of particular concern,” read the conclusion in the Pathway To Policy: Firearms Trafficking And Public Health In The Caribbean.
The 130-page document is a joint report by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime Security, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre at the University of the West Indies, and the Small Arms Survey, with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
It revealed that firearms are at the heart of violence in the region, and their proliferation and misuse have driven up the homicide rates, destabilised communities and strained already fragile public health systems, based on the finding of the Small Arms Survey.
Its director, Dr Mark Downes, stated that the circulation of illicit weapons not only fuelled gang activities and youth recruitment into violent networks, but threatened hospitals, schools and other vital social spaces.
In spite of the pervasiveness of access to the externally-sourced weapons and how gun-related injuries are consuming a disproportionate share of national health budgets, while diverting resources from development and prevention, the situation is not insurmountable, he stated.
“The findings highlight the urgent need for coordinated, multi-sectoral action – uniting law enforcement, public health education and community actors – to curb firearms trafficking, reduce demand and address the social roots of violence,” the report outlined.
Island-hopping criminals It pointed out that the Caribbean’s geography – with its multiple islands and proximity to Central America, South America and the United States – is exploited by gangs and organised criminals who commit violent crimes in one territory and quickly seek refuge in another. The trafficking and misuse of firearms affect all segments of society, including the public health sector, it added.
“Facilities are sometimes targeted by the perpetrators of violence, while personnel work under stressful conditions, having to prioritise emergency care for gunshot wound patients over routine but important care for other patients.
“Consistent with the 2023 Caribbean Firearms Study, this report found that the average direct medical costs of treatment provided to patients with gunshot wounds greatly exceed annual health care expenditures per capita, as well as the costs of care for patients injured by other types of weapons. The research also documents significant disability and productivity losses due to firearm injuries, and highlights the young age of some of the victims. Firearmrelated violence therefore continues to divert scarce public resources towards dealing with the impacts of violence – which could otherwise be invested in violence prevention, education and development.”
It called for a crucial multi-sectoral approach that extends beyond security and public health – and that achieves a greater balance between crime response strategies and prevention approaches. ( AC)
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