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The Caribbean NCD Forum
Supporting national and regional advocacy in the Caribbean in the lead up to the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2018
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The Caribbean NCD Forum: Supporting national and regional advocacy in the Caribbean in the lead up to the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2018, will take place in Kingston, Jamaica from 23rd-25th April 2018. The Forum is sponsored by the World Diabetes Foundation and our ongoing sponsor Sagicor Life Inc.. The regional meeting bringing together a diverse group of over 90 stakeholders, aims to mobilise regional civil society organisations (CSOs) and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Caribbean is fully engaged in the 3rd UN High Level Meeting (UNHLM) on NCDs.
The Forum is being held in collaboration with HCC partners, the Jamaica Ministry of Health, the NCD Alliance, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWI OC), together with HCC member organisations, including specifically the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) and the Diabetes Association of Jamaica (DAJ). The HCC also acknowledges the support of PAHO.
The objectives of the Forum are to: take stock of NCD progress in the Caribbean; harmonize CARICOM priority areas for the UNHLM 2018; Discuss strategies to encourage the highest level of political attendance at the 2018 UNHLM; and explore post-2018 strategies towards the achievement of 25*25 and SDGs.
The HCC will also be holding the Jamaica launch of the Childhood Obesity Prevention online petition which is part of their broader TooMuchJunk campaign. The petition calls on CARICOM Heads of Government to reduce childhood obesity through the enactment of the following policies and legislation: imposition of a tax of not less than 20% on Sugar Sweetened Beverages; ban the sale, promotion and marketing of SSBs, and unhealthy fast/junk food in schools; and the adoption and application of regional standards for nutritional and front of package labelling of foods and beverages.
The Press release for the Caribbean NCD Forum can be downloaded/viewed here.
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NCD Alliance Launch ENOUGH NCDs Campaign Website
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The NCD Alliance have launched their campaign website ' enoughncds.com' in preparation for the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs.
A central feature of the website is the ' Take Action' section, where you can find a variety of ways to become a change maker - or to get more deeply involved if you are already engaged in the NCD movement as we seek to ensure that the HLM on NCDs, which will be held at UN Headquarters in New York on 27 September, results in meaningful action and real progress.
For example, you can:
- Share messages on social media
- Write to government ministers
- Convene and collaborate with allies
- Host an event and help lead the fight against NCDs.
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At enoughncds.com you will learn why it is unacceptable that 70% of all deaths worldwide result from NCDs, find background information about the HLM, discover the NCD Alliance's campaign priorities for the meeting and find opportunities to get involved in the campaign to make the 2018 HLM truly successful and ensure improvement in the health of people everywhere.
Visit the enoughncds.com and find out what actions you can take to be an agent of change for NCDs.
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The HCC fully embraces the ENOUGH NCDs campaign and encourages all CSOs to make full use of all of the NCD Alliance's campaign materials and adopt this campaign as their own.
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The Childhood Obesity Prevention Online Petition moved into full gear this week with the launch of its #toomuchjunk campaign. #toomuchjunk seeks to spread awareness of the need for changes in the eating and drinking habits of the region's children; the growing challenge of Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean and the critical link between Childhood Obesity and Non-Communicable diseases. The campaign's Call for Action also includes signing the HCC's Online petition at www.toomuchjunk.org.
The campaign will be primarily communicated via social media, but will also include radio and television interviews, television advertising and direct or face-to-face communications. Promotion of the Petition will also be a critical component during the NCD Forum in Jamaica next week (April 23rd to 25th).
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The full time faculty at UWI School of Clinical Medicine and Research, The Bahamas
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Executive and floor members of the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation of Barbados
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The HCC continues to engage all its CSO members in the ongoing promotion of the Petition in preparation for the CARICOM Summit in July.
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Sugar Made Us, But Now it’s Killing Us
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The title, “Sugar made us, but now it's killing us” of this excellent editorial outlining the reality of sugar being a present day source of death and disability, only partly reflects the time course of the killing effect of sugar on Caribbean. Sugar has killed Caribbean people through slavery from the first day it was introduced into the Region, and has corrupted the world leading to the obesity epidemic and its consequences. Sir Trevor Hassell, HCC President.
Barbados Today Editorial - With the fight against chronic non-communicable diseases seemingly a never-ending and unwinnable battle, it is apparent that one of the foundations on which Barbados was built, is at the core of most of our health issues.
Before tourism became the prop on which Barbados' economy was built, sugar cane was king and the industry was our most important foreign exchange earner. But its domestic consumption in several manifestations can now be linked to all the headaches Barbados faces with chronic non-communicable diseases.
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Jamaica Moves Celebrates First Anniversary
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Jamaica Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), tries to outdo senior citizen Gwendolyn Morgan from the Comprehensive Health Centre’s exercise group, at Jamaica Moves’ first anniversary celebration held at Emancipation Park
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In celebration of Jamaica Moves’ first anniversary, the Ministry of Health staged an all-day exercise and wellness event at Emancipation Park on Friday (April 13), with activities for fitness enthusiasts and other persons living in Kingston and St. Andrew.
There were work out and consultation sessions, physiotherapy, health screenings and dental checkups, all free of cost.
Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, who participated in the day’s activities, said the decision was made to return to the Emancipation Park, where the programme was unveiled in April 2017, because the facility promotes exercise and healthy lifestyles, through the areas that are open to the public for jogging, running, yoga and other things.
“We are back one year after to show that it is working and people love it,” he said.
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A CARICOM Perspective on The Role of Law in Addressing the NCDs Epidemic
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On April 5, 2018 Nicole Foster, Law Lecturer at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus and Policy Advisor with HCC gave a lunchtime talk at Georgetown Law Centre’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law on ‘A CARICOM Perspective on The Role of Law in Addressing the NCDs Epidemic’.
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The lunchtime talk was attended by LL.M students and staff from the O’Neill Institute. In her presentation Ms Foster (pictured right) briefly described the regional public health context as it relates to NCDs prevalence, discussed some of CARICOM’s experiences with tobacco control and obesity prevention and control and also explored the potential role of litigation before the Caribbean Court of Justice in both its appellate and original jurisdictions.
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It is hoped that the parties will be able to build on this initial contact to deepen collaboration with a view to exchanging experiences between Caribbean and Latin American states with a view to identifying lessons and best practices that can possibly accelerate CARICOM’s response.
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Alarm Over Weight of Girls, Women
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Barbados is eighth in the world in relation to the number of females - 15 years and over - who are overweight or obese.
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According to a report produced by the World Health Organisation in 2011, Barbados comes in at 63 per cent in the rankings.
Trinidad and Tobago runs a close second with 61 per cent, while Dominica and Jamaica bring up the rear with 60 and 53 per cent, respectively.
Professor Alafia Samuels (pictured right), director, Chronic Disease Research Centre, at the University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus, said the situation was alarming. She was giving the inaugural lecture entitled Confront The Epidemic Of Obesity – Is Sugar The New Tobacco? in the Roy Marshall Lecture Theatre.
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High-level Meeting to Explore Mechanisms to Better Use the Law to Address NCDs
Meeting Report Now Available
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Government ministers from different sectors met with academicians, judges from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ),FAO, representatives of the CARICOM Secretariat, organs and institutions and civil society, on March 10, 2018 to discuss that the use of laws and regulations to help combat NCDs in the region.
The HCC, Heart Foundation of Jamaica and the Bar association represented civil society at this critical meeting.
The meeting report has now been published. The executive summary can be read here and full report here.
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We’ve #AdEnough of Junk Food Marketing
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Celebrity UK Chef Jamie Oliver
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Stop promoting junk food to our kids – we’ve had enough!
Celebrity UK Chef, Jamie Oliver has launched a campaign to protect kids from junk food marketing
Kids are bombarded, day-in, day-out, with adverts for food and drink products that are high in unhealthy fats, sugar and salt. They’re online, on TV, on the streets and all over public transport.
If kids are constantly being targeted with cheap, easily accessible, unhealthy junk food, just think how hard it must be to make better, healthier choices. We have to make it easier for children to make good decisions.
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WHO Urges Action on Europe’s Biggest Killers to Reduce Early Deaths by a Third
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How can health systems in the WHO European Region save more people from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and help meet the global goal to reduce premature deaths from NCDs by 33% by 2030? Ministers of health and senior policy-makers are gathering in Sitges, on 16–18 April 2018, to address this question at the High-Level Regional Meeting: Health Systems Respond to NCDs. The stakes are high across the 53 Member States of the European Region, where the major NCDs account for almost 9 deaths in 10 and have a negative economic impact. It has been estimated that for every 10% increase in NCD mortality, economic growth is reduced by 0.5%.
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How Amsterdam is Reducing Child Obesity
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Childhood obesity rates are rising in many parts of the world - but in Amsterdam they are falling. The city's healthy-weight programme has seen a 12% drop in overweight and obese children.
"Go!" shouts the instructor. Tyrell van der Wees throws himself forward to do sit-ups, then jumps up and runs to the end of the gym and back again. He is breathing fast, his heart pumping.
The nine-year-old is smiling, working hard and having fun. He is also part of Amsterdam's efforts to improve the health of its children.
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The Whole World Needs to Eat Better
Governments can save lives by improving people's diets.
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The food that people eat has become a major risk factor for disability and death worldwide. Yet countries and their philanthropic supporters seem not to be paying attention. They're investing far too little in improving diets and preventing nutrition-related disease.
The problem is part of a larger trend in human mortality. Until recently, in many low- and middle-income countries, malaria, diarrhea and other infectious diseases were the biggest killers. While such illnesses are far from being eradicated, noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer have become more widespread, and now account for two out of every three deaths globally. Seventy-five percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
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Bovell Cancer Diabetes Foundation (BCDF) 6th Annual Breakfast Morning & Diabetes Awareness Dialogue
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Saturday 28th April, 2018, Scarborough Market Square, Tobago, Donation: $50.00
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Vital Strategies Require a Strategic Communication Consultant - Jamaica
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Vital Strategies has an opening for a Strategic Communication Consultant based in Jamaica.
Interested persons should submit a resume and a writing sample to hr@vitalstrategies.org.
The position will be based in Kingston, and the closing date for applications is April 30th.
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Key Messages From Our Publications
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HCC/NCD Alliance Policy Brief: A Closer Look: The Implementation of Taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by the Government of Barbados
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NCDs and Trade Policy in the Caribbean
Read more
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- Brand new ENOUGH campaign website now live
- 27 Sept is confirmed for High-Level Meeting on NCDs
- Changed: dates to comment on report of Commission on NCDs
- A global NCD movement has no borders!
- Slides and recording from NCDA's 4 April webinar
- Gulf Obesity Summit and Regional Congress
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From the NCD Alliance Digest
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NCDs News
Risk Factors News
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8th Caribbean Association of Oncology & Hematology Conference
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May 11th-12th, 2018, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain,Trinidad.
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Barbados Association of Palliative Care Presents “All With You” In Concert
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Saturday, 12th May 2018, 7 pm, at the Royal Barbados Police Band Headquarters, Station Hill, St. Michael.
Admission: $25.00 (Refreshments on Sale), for more information contact Deiann Sobers at desobers@gmail.com.
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Cancer Support Services Special Benefit Concert
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Barbados Association of Palliative Care Conference
Arms of Compassion
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Tuesday, 22 May 2018 at the Radisson Hotel, Aquatic Gap, St. Michael.
For more information contact: Ms. Deiann Sobers – 418-6915/234-9196 or Email: barpal2011gmail.com/desobers@gmail.com.
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World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2018
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The 3rd Annual Caribbean Nutrition Conference
Hosted by the Caribbean Institute of Nutrition & Dietetics (CIND) at the Hilton Barbados from June 6 - 8th, 2018
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5th Annual Medical Conference & Community Outreach Program
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CARPHA 63rd Health Research Conference
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The 5th Biennial 2018 Science of Global Prostate Cancer
November 7 - 10th, 2018 at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
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Caribbean Cardiology Conference 2018
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World Cancer Conference 2018
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World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health
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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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