This week, PAHO/WHO, CARICOM and CARPHA held a Caribbean Regional Consultation, “Advancing the Caribbean Cooperation in Health to Benefit the Regional Public Good” in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The meeting brought together senior staff from regional public health agencies from the Caribbean, Chief Medical Officers, academia and selected regional civil society organisations, including the Healthy Caribbean Coalition which was represented by President Sir Trevor Hassell.

The consultation had as its primary goal the continued improvement in the health and wellbeing of the Caribbean people and was aimed at identifying the way forward in the development of Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH).

On February 24-25th, 2016 in Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean NCD leaders from government, civil society and the private sector met to review the results of an evaluation of the landmark 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs, issued by CARICOM Heads of Government. The bulk of the meeting was action-oriented, spent in working groups developing the bones of a renewed action plan to accelerate implementation of the Declaration as it approaches its 10th Anniversary in 2017. The meeting was attended by a wide cross section of stakeholders including the Honourable Minister of Health of Trinidad and Tobago Hon. Terrance Deyalsingh; Mrs. Jesse Schutt-Aine, PAHO; Dr. Rudy Cummings, CARICOM; Sir Trevor Hassell, HCC; and other leading regional and international NCD experts.

The importance of a multisectoral approach to NCDs was a reoccurring theme. Mrs Jessie Schutt-Aine of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), stressed that, “We need a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach; bringing together trade, agriculture, the food industry, health, education and other sectors. We need civil society, schools, churches: the entire community working together towards this common goal.” Executive Director, HCC, Maisha Hutton noted the importance of moving beyond the rhetoric of civil society inclusion to meaningful engagement of civil society at the highest levels. Civil society (CS) has played a critical role in NCD prevention and control in the region in the areas of education and health promotion (planting the seeds for social mobilisation); service delivery; treatment and support; and advocacy especially in the area of tobacco control. She cautioned however that financial and intellectual investment in civil society was needed to ensure the community was ‘fit for purpose’. HCC Alcohol Policy Advisor, Dr. Rohan Maharaj, underscored the importance of the alcohol agenda and urged the continued support for alcohol taxes despite controversy given the cultural and economic significance of alcohol products in the region. He also stressed the need for a framework for regional alcohol policies through a comprehensive regional alcohol policy led by CARICOM/ COHSOD (promoted by HCC at COHSOD in September 2014 here). HCC President, Sir Trevor noted that "the further effective discharge of the mandates of the  POS declaration requires an effective multi-sectoral approach to prevention and control of NCDs as called for in the preamble for the declaration. There is now need for all sectors of society to come together to effect such a response".

The HCC was pleased with CSO representation at the workshop, where over 7 CSOs participated including: The Caribbean Farmers Network; The Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control; The Heart Foundation of Jamaica; The Cancer Society of the Bahamas; Global Leadership Interlink; Diabetes Association of Trinidad & Tobago; and the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventist.

HCC will work to ensure continued civil society input into the development and finalisation of the action plan. The HCC is responsible for Objective 8 of the POSDEVAL - dissemination through to the end of the project in March 2017. 

To see a gallery of photos click here. Visit the the POSDEVAL website for more information.

New law earmarks funds for NCD prevention, pays insurance premiums for elderly and disabled

“Kudos to all of you! As the saying goes, you put your money where your mouth is” said Palau President Remengesau Jr., referring to House bill 9-185 as he signed it into law yesterday at his office, witnessed by a crowd of people representing various agencies and groups that worked on the bill’s passage.

The now RPPL 9-57, the law earmarked 10% of Alcohol  and Tobacco Tax to the National Coordinating Mechanism for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), to implement measures and guidelines for NCD prevention programs. Read more

NHS chief to introduce sugar tax in hospitals to tackle UK obesity crisis - The NHS plans to impose its own sugar tax in hospitals to help tackle the “national sugar high” increasingly ruining people’s health, the service’s boss reveals. Simon Stevens also urged ministers to take radical action against obesity, including forcing food firms to strip sugar out of their products, as part of an unprecedented assault on bad diet. Read more

Unilever boss warns UK against sugar tax - Paul Polman says the tax is ‘not the holy grail’ and there is little evidence around the world such a levy can actually tackle Britain’s obesity crisis. The boss of Unilever, one of the world’s biggest food manufacturers, has warned that a sugar tax will not solve Britain’s obesity crisis and said it is “too simple” as a proposal. Read more

Please register your event here.

The HCC is a regional network of Caribbean health NGOs and civil society organizations with the remit to combat chronic diseases (NCDs) and their associated risk factors and conditions. Our membership presently consists of more than 50 Caribbean-based health NGOs and over 55 not-for-profit organisations and, in excess of 200 individual members based in the Caribbean and across the globe.

To join the HCC email us at hcc@healthycaribbean.org