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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 1918 - 2013
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November 27 - December 3 2013

Healthy Caribbean Weekly News Roundup
Healthy Caribbean Coalition

HCC Feature

HCC awarded grant from Australian Government

HCC awarded grant from Australian Government The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has been awarded a grant of $112,800.00USD through the Australian Government's Direct Aid Program. The grant will fund a multi-country cervical cancer prevention initiative aimed at building the capacity of key Caribbean civil society actors to respond more effectively to the community-based needs for cervical cancer prevention, treatment and control. The project will be implemented across five OECS countries.

The recipient organisations and countries are as follows: The Belize Cancer Society (BCS), Belize; The Dominica Cancer Society (DCS), Dominica; The Grenada Cancer Society (GCS), Grenada; The Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG), Guyana; and The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS), Jamaica. The HCC would like to extend a warm thanks to the Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr. James Hospedales, for introducing us to Ambassador Tysoe and the Direct AID Program.

The HCC will continue to work collectively, collaborating at all levels, towards an NCD-free Caribbean. 'Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.' Henry Ford.

Watch the video of Ambassador Tysoe's visit to the HCC here

Healthy Caribbean Coalition

News Roundup

Knighthood for HCC President

Professor Sir Trevor Hassell President of the HCC The Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and membership of the HCC would like to extend our congratulations to the founder and President of the HCC Professor Sir Trevor Hassell. The Knighthood conferred on Professor Sir Trevor Hassell on November 30, 2013, was given for his significant contribution to the medical profession, in particular, cardiology and as a champion of the NCD cause in Barbados. Although this award is largely based on Sir Trevor's tremendous career as a Barbadian cardiologist, spanning over 50 years; this honour is equally reflective of his impact and influence far beyond the shores of Barbados. His passion and devotion to NCDs in the Caribbean is extraordinary.

He has championed and lead this movement at all levels; driving the global and regional NCD agenda by engaging policymakers; shaping new approaches to NCD prevention using innovative, strategic thinking; and perhaps most importantly, empowering communities, the ordinary man and women most affected by this epidemic, to believe in their value and their voice. We are immensely proud and feel priveledged and honoured to have the opportunity to work with Sir Trevor. His commitment is unwavering and infectious. His vision, leadership and friendship will continue to serve as an inspiration to us all.

Executive Director of CARPHA breaks ground for new regional lab

Executive Director of CARPHA breaks ground for new regional lab Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, December 3, 2013: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) moved today one step forward in its mission to provide strategic direction in analyzing, defining and responding to public health priorities of CARICOM, in order to prevent disease, promote health and respond to public health emergencies. By turning the sod for the installation of its Bio-safety Level 3 (BSL-3) Modular Laboratory at its compound located at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the Agency is additionally helping to protect the tourism industry which is vital to the Region’s economy. Read more

Guy Manning at the summit of Mount Everest Everest hike peaks with $100,000 for cancer - Local attorney Guy Manning has raised roughly US$100,000 on behalf of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.And he only had to battle the elements, extreme altitude, illness, diarrhea and weight loss and risk the loss of a few toes to do it. Mr. Manning, 39, a partner at the Campbells law firm, was among a team that summited Mount Everest in May while carrying the names of 56 cancer survivors and a Cayman Islands flag. Read more

A Cup of Tea Ends HPV A Cup of Tea Ends HPV

Cayman Islands Cancer Society held a tea party at a volunteer’s residence “A Cup of Tea Ends HPV” focused on raising awareness and funding to cover immunizations for young boys and girls in the hope of significantly lowering future cases of cervical cancer in the Cayman Islands and the rest of the Caribbean. Read more

CICS Conquering Cancer lll Lets Fight Cancer Together - The Cayman Islands Cancer Society closed out their “Conquering Cancer III Lets Fight Cancer Together” 3 day event with a bang, on Saturday September 28, when they hosted their free community health fair at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort.. Read more

Dr. Vikash Chatrani presents for HCC at the Best of ASCO Conference 2013
Dr. Vikash Chatrani, Gynae-Oncologist and Specialist Physician Volunteer at the HCC, presented at the Best of ASCO Conference at the Hilton in Barbados on December 1st, 2013. The presentation entitled, 'The Value of Civil Society Advocacy in Driving Cancer Policy and Programming Priorities - The Caribbean Cervical Cancer Electronic Petition (CCCEP)' highlighted the successes, challenges and lessons learned around the CCCEP, in particular as tool to inform priorities in cervical cancer policy and programming. Read more

Abstract Submission for CCS 2013 Now Open - The CCS 2013 Conference Planning Committee is now accepting abstracts for presentation at the 2014 Annual Caribbean Cardiology Conference. The CCS Conference is the premier cardiovascular meeting in the Caribbean and one of the region's preeminent medical meetings. We hope you will take the opportunity to participate in what we know will be an educational and engaging learning experience. Read more

NCD Alliance E-Alert - Launch of Global Health 2035

Launch of Global Health 2035 Today The Lancet has published Global Health 2035: A World Converging within a Generation (Global Health 2035), a major new report by the Commission on Investing in Health. Released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Development Report,Global Health 2035 revisits the case for investing in health, identifies three priority health challenges for governments in the next 20 years, and puts forth a bold new investment framework to achieve dramatic health gains by 2035 to reduce illness-related poverty. here

The NCDFREE Story So Far... - One year ago, our team had a simple idea. Connected by a passion for addressing the world’s leading cause of death, we sought to re-brand the way society perceived NCDs; launch a global social movement and inspire a new generation of young, community-level Change-Makers.Read more

Children, Youth, Adolescents and NCDs

NCD Child HCC and NCD Child are seeking to identify Civil Society Organisations whose work reaches children, adolescents and youth. NCD Child is a global multi-stakeholder coalition, championing the rights and needs of children, adolescents and youth who are living with, at risk of developing or affected by NCDs. NCD Child and the HCC are conducting a rapid mapping of key stakeholders in the region. If your work impacts children, adolescents and youth, or you are aware of organisations in your communities or countries who fit this profile, please contact us with details. Kindly reply all to this email with details.

Diabetes and Sport Conference on Diabetes and Sport - organised by the University Diabetes Outreach Programme (UDOP) in collaboration with The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech). Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from March 27 - 29, 2014!. Read more

World’s leading lung societies unite to call for improvements in healthcare - The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) has recently launched a report on World COPD Day entitled Respiratory diseases in the world. Realities of Today – Opportunities for Tomorrow.The report features five major disease areas, including COPD, which is the fourth leading cause worldwide. It also includes 10 key recommendations that FIRS considers to be essential to help reduce the burden of COPD and all respiratory diseases. Read more

New Report from Australian Council for International Development on NCDs - The Australian Council for International Development recently released a report on Addressing the world’s biggest killers : Non - communicable diseases and the in ternational development agenda. Authored by Sam Byfield and Rob Moodie from the Nossal Institute for Global Health, and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health,University of Melbourne. Read more

WHO guidelines for screening and treatment of precancerous lesions WHO guidelines for screening and treatment of precancerous lesions for cervical cancer prevention - Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a premalignant lesion that may exist at any one of three stages: CIN1, CIN2, or CIN3. If left untreated, CIN2 or CIN3 (collectively referred to as CIN2+) can progress to cervical cancer. This guideline provides recommendations for strategies for a screen-and-treat programme. It builds upon the existing WHO guidelines. Read more

Smoking, unsafe sex and alcohol 'pose growing threat in poorer countries - Nearly 80% of the deaths from smoking in 2010 occurred in poorer countries, says World Bank, as risky behaviour soars. Risky behaviour – smoking, illegal drug use, excessive drinking, unhealthy eating and unsafe sex – is on the rise worldwide and poses a growing threat to health, particularly in poorer countries, according to a World Bank report. Read more

NCD Alliance E-Alert- WHO European Ministerial Conference on NCDs - in the Context of Health 2020, Ashgabat Turkmenistan WHO Europe’s Health Ministers gathered this week in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan to take stock of the achievements of the past years and declare ongoing commitments for action on the prevention and control of NCDs. Read more

New test for cervical cancer - Johannesburg - A low-cost, point-of-care test to detect cervical cancer may be available in South Africa by 2018. Cervical cancer kills more South African women than any other type of cancer and one in 39 women in the country will be diagnosed with it in her lifetime. Read more

In Poor Countries, Cancer’s Stigma Kills - (Bloomberg View) In poor and middle-income countries, a lethal malady once prominent mainly in affluent parts of the globe is raising its ugly head. Cancer incidence rates are increasing at double that of the rest of the world. Especially alarming are the fatality data. As Jason Gale reports in the December issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine, while developing countries account for about half of new cancer cases, they have about 70 percent of cancer deaths. Read more

NCD Articles on WebMD

  • Why Is Type 2 Diabetes So Serious? - The condition messes with the body's ability to process food for energy, which can lead to heart, vision, and nerve damage. Read more
  • How to Slash Heart Risks Tied to Obesity - Lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, analysis concludes. Read more
  • Truth About Sweets and Diabetes - Can you still enjoy carbs and desserts? What about wine? Get the facts. Read more
  • Cancer-Fighting Foods - Certain foods may raise your risk of cancer. Other foods may help protect you, though. Read more
  • Diabetes Dos and Don'ts - Find out if you’re doing everything you can to control your diabetes and avoid common mistakes. Read more

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

HCC Featured - Previously featured Members, events and news can now be found on our HCC Featured webpage here

Healthy Caribbean Coalition
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Healthy Caribbean Coalition

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 50 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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HCC Secretariat, Caribbean Catalyst Inc., River Road, St. Michael, Barbados, BB11155