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Getting National NCD Commissions Up and Running in the Caribbean
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The HCC is pleased to share their new publication 'Getting National NCD Commissions Up and Running: A Framework for the Establishment and Strengthening of National NCD Commissions in the Caribbean Towards a More Effective Multisectoral Response to NCDs PART II’.
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This publication, developed in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, is the second of a two-part series on National NCD Commissions (NNCDCs). Part I: ' A Civil Society Report on National NCD Commissions in the Caribbean: Towards a More Effective Multisectoral Response to NCDs', provides a detailed assessment of the status of National NCD Commissions in CARICOM Member States (MS). Part II provides practical guidance for the establishment and strengthening of NNCDCs (or their equivalents) based on the experiences of past and existing Commissions in the region, as presented in Part I. The two part series of reports has been prepared by, and viewed through the lens of, civil society. It has been produced for the Caribbean – Small Island Developing States ranging from low- to high-income but has wider applicability. |
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Against the background of the epidemic of NCDs and its crushing burden on health systems and threat to national development gains, the two part series on NNCDCs is an important tool: showing the way forward in producing critical multisectoral mechanisms for a whole-of-government, whole-of-society, and health-in-all-policies approach to prevent and control NCDs. 'It provides step by step practical guidance for existing and emerging NNCDCs and highlights approaches to policy and and legislation determination and implementation, and details actions that a variety of sectors might undertake as part of the multisectoral effort. As critical voices in the multisectoral response, CSOs must aim to be active members of NNCDCs. Part I and II contain useful information on the role and function of CSOs in these multisectoral bodies.
The HCC looks forward to working with, and supporting the further establishment and strengthening of, National NCD Commissions in the region, in collaboration with Ministries of Health, civil society organisations, appropriate private sector partners, regional institutions, and international agencies. Read the full report here. |
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World Health Day April 7th 2017 HCC Infographic
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This Friday, April 7, 2017 is the World Health Organization's World Health Day. The theme this year is depression. In recognition of World Health Day the HCC has developed this infographic: An Insight into Depression in the Caribbean. This is a tool for civil society advocacy and forms part of the HCC’s ongoing advocacy agenda in support of assisting governments in meeting national, regional and global NCD targets. Click here for full size infographic. |
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Click here for full size infographic.
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WHO World Health Day - Lets Talk Depression
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Depression is a common mental disorder that affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. The risk of becoming depressed is increased by poverty, unemployment, life events such as the death of a loved one or a relationship break-up, physical illness and problems caused by alcohol and drug use. Untreated depression can prevent people from working and participating in family and community life. Talking with people you trust can be a first step towards recovery from depression. Read more
WHO Resources can be found here. |
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World Day for Physical Activity April 6th 2017
Active People! Happy People!
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World Day for Physical Activity is April 6th 2017, the theme for this year is Active People! Happy People!, visit the official website here.
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The World Health Organisation says Regular physical activity such as walking, cycling, or dancing not only makes you feel good, it has significant benefits for health. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers, helps control weight, and contributes to mental well-being. Taking part in physical activity also increases opportunities for making friends and feeling part of the community.
Read more
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NCD Alliance says World Day for Physical Activity on April 6th is an opportunity to reflect on 12 months of progress in physical activity advocacy, & opportunities going forward. Read more
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Caribbean Physician Dr. Rosmond Adams Attends the First Meeting of the WHO GCM Working Group on Health Education and Health Literacy for NCDs
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The WHO GCM/NCD Working Group on health education and health literacy for NCDs (Working Group 3.3,2016-2017) had it’s first face to face meting in Geneva, Switzerland on February 27-28, 2017. The WG was formed under Objective 3 of the GCM/NCD 2016-17 work plan to provide a forum to identify barriers and share innovative solutions and actions for the implementation of the global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020 and to promote sustained actions across sectors.
The working group has 12 members drawn from the different WHO regions. Dr. Rosmond Adams, Head, Health Information, Communicable Disease and Emergency Response at CARPHA, is a member of the WG which is co-chaired by Dr Lixin Jiang, Assistant Director of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases; Co-Director of China Oxford Centre for International Health Research; Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet China and Professor Sergey Boystov, Director, National Research Center for Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation. |
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The objectives of the first Working Group Meeting were: to provide overview and context in order to deliver on the mandate of the Working Group; to agree on draft format and content of final report, including topics to be included in annexes; and to agree on consultation process with subject matter experts, stakeholders and Member States. Emerging out of the Dr. Adams identified the following priorities: 1. Health literacy must be integrated into medical school curriculum so that physicians are effective at delivering health education materials to their patients; 2. Health education and health literacy initiatives must also target policymakers and ministers of Government, if they are to support and know the importance of improving health literacy and health education, they must be involved; and there is need for a mechanism or platform for health literacy and health education on NCDs reflecting the multi-sectoral approach in which major and leading private sector, international media houses etc. partner with policymakers and civil society to undertake health education and health literacy initiatives.
The 2nd meeting of the working group is scheduled for 12-13 June 2017. This meeting will review evidence and conclusions from the first meeting, develop an interim report and consider the first draft of the final report. It will also discuss roll out/engagement plans with member states and other stakeholders.
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Massy Stores and the Health of their Customers
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Speaking at a recent National Consultation on Healthy Foods for Barbadians, hosted by the Barbados Ministry of Health and the Barbados National NCD Commission, Karen Alleyne from Massy Stores spoke about the importance of their role in helping customers to reach and maintain their health goals.
Supermarkets are uniquely positioned to affect the health of customers by influencing what they eat; and, as such, we should see ourselves as allies in helping customers to reach and maintain their health goals.
This is of relevance in Barbados where diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes are highly prevalent. Read more |
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Monitoring Food and Beverage Marketing to Children Via Television and the Internet – a New Tool for Member States in the WHO European Region
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The WHO Regional Office for Europe has launched a new tool to support Member States in assessing the extent and nature of food marketing to children. The tool aligns with the WHO recommendations on the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children by outlining a common approach to monitoring the situation in countries.
The Vienna Declaration on Nutrition and Noncommunicable Diseases, the WHO European Food and Nutrition Action Plan 2015–2020 and the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity all recommend that Member States prioritize child and adolescent health via balanced and nutritious diets. In particular, they recommend policies to reduce the consumption of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in saturated fat, salt and/or free sugars. One factor known to influence children’s dietary preferences and behaviours is food marketing, and WHO issued important policy guidance to Member States in the form of a set of recommendations in 2010. Read more |
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The Newsletter of the Bovell Cancer Diabetes Foundation
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- 5th Annual Breakfast Morning & Diabetes Dialogue
- What You Need to do to stay Heart Healthy
- Let’s Talk Cancer; Cholesterol Snippets
- Diabetic Eye Disease
- The Glycemic Index
- Children’s Affairs
- Finding Carbohydrate Values
- BCDF 2017 Rainbow Calendar of Events
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NCD Alliance Webinar - Wednesday 10 May
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The NCD Alliance will be holding their next webinar on Wednesday 10th May from 10:00–11:30 EDT // 16:00 – 17:30 CET. The webinar will focus on preparations for the 70th World Health Assembly, together with other current topics. A more detailed agenda will be available in the coming weeks.
In addition, we invite our participants to submit questions prior to the webinar by emailing info@ncdalliance.org in advance. Participants will also be able to send questions and feedback during the webinar. Register here. |
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Cut Sugar in Cakes, Chocolate by 20%, Industry Told
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Sugar limits for everyday foods such as biscuits, chocolate bars and cereals have been published by public health officials in a bid to make UK children more healthy. Public Health England is challenging businesses to cut sugar by 20% by 2020, and by 5% this year.
It says the food industry should try lowering sugar levels, reducing product size or pushing healthier products.
But experts question how the targets can be enforced. Read more
Read the original Public Health England Press release here, the corporate report ' Sugar reduction: Achieving the 20%' and see a visual representation of the sugar reduction recommendation here. |
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‘No fat’ and ‘No Sugar’ Labels are Misleading the Public
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A new study led by the University of North Carolina has found that terms such as ‘no fat’ and ‘no sugar’ give consumers a false sense of confidence when purchasing such items, in fact they rarely reflect the actual nutritional quality of the food. The researchers found that foods with the ‘low fat’ or ‘low sugar’ claims often had a worse nutritional profile than those without. It was found that producers of these foods would make compromises in their manufacture. For example, they might lower the fat content of a drink, but then raise the sugar content in parallel, giving the illusion that the new drink is healthier due to a ‘lower fat content’. Read more |
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Obesity and the Food Environment
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Obesity is not just a local or national concern but a global one. Nearly two thirds of adults (63%) in England were classed as being overweight (a body mass index BMI of over 25) or obese (a BMI of over 30) in 2015.
Nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 are overweight or obese and younger generations are becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese into adulthood. Read more |
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Diabetes Drug Could be the First to Reverse the Disease
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By Andy Coghlan - The New Scientist. No insulin injections, no avoiding sugar. A daily drug can reverse diabetes symptoms in mice, opening up the possibility of a much easier way for diabetics to keep their blood sugar level within safe limits.
In 2016, the number of people living with diabetes in the UK surpassed 4 million – an increase of 65 per cent over the course of a decade. Some 3.5 million have been diagnosed, but 550,000 are thought to have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, which is linked to being overweight, and can develop later in life.
Many people develop type 2 diabetes as they age, as their body’s response to insulin – a hormone that controls how much sugar circulates in our blood – gets weaker. Some people can manage their symptoms by sticking to a restrictive diet, or using drugs to remove sugar from their system, although many of these have side effects, such as weight gain or diarrhoea. Read more |
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Cancer Support Services 6th Annual Conference
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62nd CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference
Registration is now open
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Registration and call for abstracts is now open and can be accessed here.
Accommodation for the conference can be found here.
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CMPPA 4th Annual Medical Conference & Community Outreach Program
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Caribbean Cardiac Society - 32nd Caribbean Cardiology Conference - Early-Bird Registration Open
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Make your plans early to attend the 2017 Caribbean Cardiology Conference which will be held July 19 22, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Accommodation booking and early-bird registration are now open! Read more |
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- New NCD civil society partners in six countries
- Diabetes could make ending tuberculosis impossible
- Trinidad & Tobago national NCD Alliance launched
- Key resource for building alliances translated to French
- Monitoring food and beverage marketing to children
- Momentum towards a more physically active future
- How can depression be prevented and treated?
Read more
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The NCD Alliance News Digest
NCDs News
Risk Factors News
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Please Follow Us and Our Members on Social Media
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If you want to share your organisations social media details in our roundup please let us know hcc@healthycaribbean.org.
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HCC News Roundup Archive - If you have missed any of our News Roundups you can view previous Roundups on our News Roundup Archive webpage here.
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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 65 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
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The work of HCC would not be possible without core funding from Sagicor Life Inc
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The HCC promote the work of civil society throughout the Caribbean in a variety of ways including sharing of their materials, this is not an endorsement of their materials or messages. The information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only, we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct but any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. Through this newsletter you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of the HCC. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
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