Some non-infective diseases endemic in the West Indies

The West Indies is one of the most diverse archipelagos in the world. Into the numerous islands, with varying features of geography and natural history, have poured Europeans, Africans, Indians and small numbers of other ethnic groups, almost completely displacing the original Amerindian inhabitants. They have brought with them characteristic cultures and customs which, although to some extent blended and modified have, however, retained their identity. Such diversity affords exceptional opportunities for studies of disease in relation to geography and to racial origins, studies which can throw light on many aetiological problems (AU)