NCDs Fight continues with Caribbean Wellness Day Recognition
Sept. 13, 2022
- Jamaica to host ‘Caribbean Moves’ launch
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Tuesday, September 13, 2022: The Ministry of Health & Wellness in conjunction with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) will this Wednesday (September 14), recognize Caribbean Wellness Day and officially, launch Caribbean Moves.
Caribbean Moves is an initiative aimed at reducing the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean by engaging with a broad cross-section of public and private sector organisations to promote and support preventive health behaviours (aligned with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Best Buys for NCD prevention), and create and facilitate a supportive environment.
The event, to which all members of the public are invited, will be hosted at Emancipation Park in New Kingston, beginning at 2:00 p.m. It will feature health-screening, immunization, food preparation demonstrations and a live workout session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Jenny Jenny and Jo-Anne Williams will host the Caribbean Wellness Day Extravaganza and Caribbean Moves Launch.
Caribbean countries have for many years, been challenged by the scourge of lifestyle or non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes and cancers. NCDs are the leading causes of death, with an age-standardized death rate of 509.0 per 100,000 population in the non-Latin Caribbean and have an economic impact at every level of society.
Genesis of Caribbean Moves
In May 2018, the CARICOM Ministers of Health were introduced to the Jamaica Moves initiative, a health promotion campaign that engages all sectors of society at the individual, organisational, community and national levels to encourage three behaviours critical for the prevention and control of NCDs, such as, physical activity, healthy eating and routine age- appropriate health checks for the general population.
The CARICOM Ministers of Health agreed on the suitability of Jamaican Moves for adoption on a region wide basis, not to replace, but to increase the momentum of, ongoing national programmes for increasing physical activity and healthy eating across society. As a result, in 2018 the Caribbean Moves initiative was conceptualised and received the endorsement from the CARICOM Heads in July 2018.
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