WHO: The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco and lung health". The campaign will increase awareness on: the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people.

The campaign also serves as a call to action, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.

Caribbean360: Antigua and Barbuda is among individuals, organizations and authorities from six countries across the Americas being honoured with a 2019 World No Tobacco Day award.

“Tobacco use is a huge determinant of lung health and is responsible for 65 per cent of all deaths from pulmonary cancers in the region,” said Dr Anselm Hennis, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). “This prize recognizes the vital role that organizations and individuals play in developing and supporting policies to protect the people of the Americas from the harmful impact of tobacco smoke on lung health.”
 

First United Nations High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage - Technical Brief for CARICOM  Countries: A Contribution from Civil Society.

This Technical Brief is a step in building the capacity of the Ministries of Health (MoH) and Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to participate actively in preparatory processes for the First UN High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (HLM-UHC) scheduled for 23 September 2019 and negotiations for the development of the Political Declaration that will be the outcome document of the meeting.

It also presents eight HCC Advocacy Priorities and related Advocacy Asks, important considerations for inclusion in the Political Declaration from a civil society, NCD-focused perspective. These Advocacy Priorities and Advocacy Asks, are based on NCD Alliance’s 5 priorities, and facilitate advancing to UHC and strengthening NCD prevention and control, as part of the multisectoral, WoS approach that is essential for addressing the root causes of ill-health and improving health outcomes.

During the 72nd annual World Health Assembly Member States adopted a new global strategy on health, environment and climate change and committed to invest in safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in health facilities. Countries adopted a landmark agreement to enhance the transparency of pricing for medicines, vaccines and other health products. The new WHO programme budget was approved and a common approach to antimicrobial resistance was agreed.

Patient safety was recognized as a global health priority and the 11th Edition of the International Classification of Diseases was adopted. Countries agreed three resolutions on universal health coverage with a focus on primary healthcare, the role of community health workers and the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in New York in September 2019.

“I cannot emphasise strongly enough what a decisive moment for public health the High-Level Meeting could be. A strong declaration, with strong political support, could transform the lives of billions of people, in realizing what we have always advocated for – health for all,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, at the closing speech for the World Health Assembly 72. Read full speech

HCC President Sir Trevor Hassell was amongst the participants of a face to face meeting of the WHO Civil Society Working Group which took place during the week of the World Health Assembly, on Wednesday, 22 May, at WHO HQ, in the UNAIDS building.

PAHO: The Caribbean continues to make significant contributions and lead on public heath as Jamaican doctor and professor, Peter Figueroa, was today recognized at the World Health Assembly as a health leader for his substantial contribution to public health in Jamaica, the Caribbean, the Americas and the world,  over the past four decades.

Dr. Figueroa, a Professor of Public Health, Epidemiology and HIV-AIDS at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, received a plaque from the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“This recognition means a lot to me. It is a true honor. I’ve been working in public health for forty years and believe that  I am an example, like many other health workers, of someone who commits their life to trying to help others,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed working in public health and it is an honor for me to make a contribution.”

JIS: Jamaica Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the Government is on a mission to ensure that all persons have access to timely healthcare.

Speaking at the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 22, the Minister said although Jamaica has to face the triple burden of responding to communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and natural disasters, and where public health expenditure takes 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), the Administration is committed to achieving a healthy society.

One Health is the recognition of the interaction between humans, animals and the environment as a prerequisite for understanding and managing global health threats. UiO Lancet Commission on One Health will contribute to creating awareness about One Health and the challenges we as a society are facing, as well as contributing to new knowledge in the area through research.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) “Switch It Up” mass media campaign encourages parents/guardians and policy makers to protect our children by cutting out sugary drinks at home and through policies supporting a restriction of sugary drinks at schools and marketing restriction to children. It also reinforces the harmful effects of excess consumption of sugary drinks, like the increased risk of tooth decay and obesity. The campaign’s tagline is “Switch It Up, Protect Our Children” and is being done in partnership with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GACDRC).

The Belize Cancer Society observes its Annual Cancer Awareness Month of activities for the entire Month of May. This year’s activities was  guided under the theme, “I AM and I WILL”. The month of activities concludes on May 31st.

The Society host numerous flagship activities during the month to increase the awareness and education of NCD risk factors and Cancers in Belize. The Annual Cancer Walk is one of the largest events organized by the Belize Cancer Society.  It plays a critically important role in raising awareness about cancer and in raising funds to facilitate the implementation of projects by the Society. The Belize Cancer Society has as one of its' key objectives, the responsibility to disseminate information and train health professionals and community-based organizations on cancer prevention and control initiatives. 

Cancers continues to be one of the leading causes of deaths among Belizean's of all ages, with leading cancers being Cervical, Breast, Prostate, Stomach Cancers and children's Cancers.  Of significant importance to our fundraising efforts is the ability to ensure maintained access to care for vulnerable, marginalized and impoverished Belizean's both adult & children.

The Society promotes and supports all initiatives directly related to raising the awareness of NCDs and Cancer by advocating for those in need. During the month of May the Society participated in numerous activities ranging from increased media education and promotion, collaborative meeting with the Ministry of Health and other civil society organizations, The objective of this meeting was to provide an overview of the current situation underlying childhood obesity and NCDs, outline the current strategies and interventions, and provide recommendations for the way forward on a plan of action. Participants included personnel from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Human Development, NCFC, Belize Cancer Society, The Belize Kidney Association, UNICEF, PAHO, and NHI.

The BCS hosted it's 3rd Annual Wellness Day in collaboration with Atlantic Insurance, the Belize City Council and NCD-COPA members, this initiative is a community outreach fair with over 15 community, government and grassroots organizations offering free or reduced health services to the community, from free screening for cervical cancer, mental health support, disaster preparedness, cancer insurance and life planning to mention a few. The Belize Cancer Society continues to build its capacity for increased service delivery to the people of Belize, much gratitude to all local, regional and international partners and supporters, it's is because of your collaboration and support we are able to serve our community.

PAHO: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been awarded the World Hypertension League’s Organizational Excellence Award for its outstanding work in hypertension control in the Region of the Americas. The award recognizes PAHO’s efforts in the implementation of the HEARTS initiative, which aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases.

The HEARTS initiative was first pioneered in the Region by applying the model in in four countries: Barbados, Chile, Colombia and Cuba. These projects demonstrated that the model works, that is accepted by patients, providers and funders, and that, most importantly, it improves the control of hypertension.

“Preventing and controlling hypertension is key to improving the health of a population,” said Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at PAHO. “We will continue to promote this initiative by providing tools and technical support to strengthen primary care services that are focused on the management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. PAHO is honored to accept this award and thanks the League for this recognition,” he added. 

The second issue of of this newsletter includes an interactive survey on dementia policy in Jamaica, on overview of Jamaica's move to towards universal health coverage and an update on what the team has been up to. 
 
You are also encouraged to take part in a worldwide survey on attitudes towards dementia, getting as many responses as possible, especially from the Caribbean will help improve the lives of persons living with dementia! Click here to take the survey!.

Jamaica Observer: New research backs the argument that “sin taxes” lead to a reduction in consumption, justifying the use of the duties in combating obesity and other health issues, its authors say. The 2017 decision by city officials in Philadelphia to impose a beverage tax on sugary and artificially sweetened drinks caused sales to drop by 38 per cent, according to a study published recently.

Philadelphia is one of seven US cities to have enacted the measure in recent years, along with France, Mexico and other jurisdictions. Starting January 1, 2017, the east coast city of 1.6 million people began adding a tax of 1.5 US cents per ounce on all sweetened drinks, including “diet” sodas.

CNBC: Cakes, potato chips and hamburgers are just some of the “ultra-processed” foods that researchers have claimed are drastically shortening life expectancies. Researchers from Spain and France published their findings on the consumption of processed food in the British Medical Journal on 29th May, 2019.

The Spanish study, from Navarra University, followed 19,899 people over two decades. It sorted processed foods into four categories ranging from unprocessed to ultra-processed – and found that those falling into the latter group were all linked to early deaths.

Meanwhile, research published Wednesday by the University of Paris and the University of Montpellier monitored the dietary habits of 105,159 people over the age of 18 between 2009 and 2018.

England's chief medical officer says she is considering recommending a tax on unhealthy food to persuade parents to buy more fresh fruit and vegetables.

Prof Dame Sally Davies has been asked to urgently review what more can be done to meet the government's target of halving childhood obesity by 2030.

Ideas include a tax on added sugar in baby food and on high-calorie food such as pizzas and cakes.

In February 2019, the Cervical Cancer Prevention Initiative steering committee approved a motion to rebrand as Cervical Cancer Action for Elimination (CCAE) in response to the World Health Organization's call to action to eliminate cervical cancer.

Grants are open to applicants outside the U.S., Training Grant applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree, Clinical Training Grants are for recent medical school graduates. Fields of study using bioinformatics, code development, and scientific community development are welcome.

A New funding opportunity from the LINKS initiative is now available. Led by Resolve to Save Lives, for those interested and working on cardiovascular disease prevention. Grants awarded this year are focused on managing high blood pressure, reducing salt intake and eliminating trans fats.

On Thursday May 9, 2019 from 9:00am-10:00am ET, there is an information session to review the criteria for submitting an application and provide a brief opportunity for members to ask questions about their application. Registration is required –  please register here.
 
If you are unable to attend this session, you may email your questions to support@linkscommunity.org. A recording will of the session will be posted to the LINKS website.
 
In order to access the grant website you need to become members of LINKS, which you can be easily done here: www.linkscommunity.org.
 
The new call for applications ends in 15 June 2019.

My Healthy Caribbean School (MHCS) is an initiative of the HCC which provides students, teachers and parents with the opportunity to monitor the school environment with a focus on nutrition and physical activity.

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