(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown,
Guyana) The historic CARICOM Heads of Government
Summit on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs)
was launched yesterday (Wednesday 12 September) at a
Media Clinic via Video Conference organised by the
CARICOM Secretariat, under the theme: Stemming
the Tide of Non-communicable Diseases in the
Caribbean.
In his opening Statement, Prime Minister of
Trinidad and Tobago, the Hon. Patrick Manning, who
will host this Summit on Saturday 15, September
outlined its major objectives as informing the
region of the magnitude of the problem, devising
strategies for prevention of risk factors and
establishing a collective approach for accelerating
the management and control of the diseases.
According to Prime Minister Manning, the
statistics on NCDs in the Caribbean were alarming
and while many strides had been made in health
development in the Region, there was still room for
improvement. However, he affirmed the Region’s
commitment to give priority to the issue.
“That we are meeting as Heads of Government on
this matter indicates the priority that CARICOM has
placed on the topic,” Prime Minister Manning said.
He alluded to initial preventive steps taken to
curtail NCDs, singling out the imposition of tax on
tobacco in some Member States as a major step and
expressed the anticipation that the Summit would not
only devise strategies to stem NCDs but would
identify and treat with the root causes.
Prime Minister Manning also solicited the full
support of the Media in partnering with the
Community in a comprehensive public education
programme on lifestyle management.
Chairman of the Caribbean Commission on Health
and Development (CCHD), the Honourable Sir George
Alleyne OCC, said the Summit would not focus on
individual responsibility only for the reduction of
NCDs but would also examine the need for Heads of
Government and other policy makers to create an
enabling environment which would empower individuals
to manage their own lifestyle.
In this regard, Sir George stated that a regional
public education programme was an imperative in
informing Caribbean peoples about the magnitude of
the diseases and how they could help to reduce risk
factors to those diseases.
While he too reiterated concerns that reducing
NCDs would be a long process, Sir George reposed
confidence in the capacity and capabilities of the
Community to respond fully to the challenge, citing
the Region’s earlier successes in combating other
chronic diseases.
Dr Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary General
Human and Social Development of the CARICOM
Secretariat, in his statement, indicated some
critical concerns on the Summit’s agenda as food
production and security as well as price
negotiations in ensuring that people could afford to
eat healthy.
The Summit will bring together Heads of
Government from the Member States as well as
Associate Members; other decision and policy makers
of CARICOM and other regional and international
health organisations to declare actions appropriate
to curtailing lifestyle-related diseases such as
obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke,
heart attack and cancer.
Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, the Hon Dr.
Denzil Douglas, who has lead responsibility for
Health in the Quasi-Cabinet of CARICOM Heads of
Government, will set the tone for the Summit in his
keynote address, expected to review the nature and
impact of NCDs as well as the Caribbean’s response
to the epidemic. Other presentations and
interventions will be made by the Rt. Hon. Owen
Arthur, Chairman of CARICOM; the Hon Patrick
Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago; the
World Bank; The World Health Organisation (WHO); The
Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO); and,
the University of the West Indies.
Organised by the CARICOM Secretariat, in
collaboration with PAHO and the Americas Bureau of
WHO, this historic Summit is expected to end with a
clear appreciation of the extent of the threat of
NCDs to the health sector and development of the
Caribbean Region, as well as collective decisions on
imminent actions and the necessary monitoring
mechanisms for follow up.
Contact:
piu@caricom.org
