If you are having trouble viewing this email click here to view the online version

Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See us on You Tube

April 25 - May 1 2014

Healthy Caribbean Weekly News Roundup
Healthy Caribbean Coalition

Featured

HCC - NCD Perspectives

NCD Perspectives HCC has a new area on it's website called NCD Perspectives, it will regularly showcase the views and opinions of people from across the Caribbean and beyond, with the primary focus being NCD's. To launch the page we have three pieces written by T & T President's Youth Ambassadors plus Sharryl Spence an active youth advocate against tobacco smoking from Jamaica, all attended the recent NCD Child Conference in Trinidad & Tobago

Youth Ambassadors

Leighla Waterman - My Experience at the NCD Child Conference - As a teenager, I can confess that at times, I feel invincible. It is perhaps due to this occasional sensation of invincibility that I, along with most other adolescents, sometimes disregard the admonitions of our elders. One of the most typical counsels we receive, is that we should make healthier lifestyle choices and mind what we eat and how much of it we consume. We are also often advised to get up and get outside; to be active and participate in physical activity in order to develop more beneficial lifestyle habits. In my opinion, this is in part due to our misperception that the lifestyle choices we make as teenagers could in no way affect our adult lives. Read more

Daena Boodoo - Things I Learned About NCDs - NCD is the acronym formed from Non-Communicable Diseases; NCDs are becoming more common in the world due to unhealthy lifestyles and lack of knowledge about the crisis; Common NCDs are: Diabetes, Hypertension & Obesity; 29% of hospital beds are occupied by diabetes patients, and that’s only one of the NCDs that are present today; 70% of premature deaths in the world are due to NCDs of the parentsMany of these NCDs begin to form at young ages. They worsen; develop overtime from lack of attention or not knowing they are there and then break out in your young adulthood/adulthood. Read more

The Students of Fatima College Speak Out About NCDs - In the words of the first lady “We need to change our mindset if we are to verify this growing problem of NCD’s in the Caribbean.” We the students of Fatima College agree with her one hundred percent. In our view there isn’t a more significant way of tackling the problem head on. Although implementing policies to ensure a healthier lifestyle of students who are most at risk can be effective, they are more likely to have temporary or short term effects as oppose to the actual changing of the mindsets of the adults as well as students which can permanently verify the problem at hand as it now becomes part of their everyday lifestyle. Read more

Sharryl Spence Youth Tobacco Advocate from JamaicaSharryl Spence Youth Tobacco Advocate from Jamaica - Sharryl Spence is a final year student currently concluding her reading for a Bachelor of Science in Experimental Biology at the region’s tertiary institution, The University of the West Indies. Through the efforts of the Jamaica Cancer Society’s Kick Butts programme, Sharryl became an active youth advocate against tobacco smoking and the industry, during her enrolment as a student at the prestigious Campion College located in Kingston, Jamaica. She presented at the the recent NCD Child Conference in Trinidad and Tobago - See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil: the 21st century movement towards Caribbean youth empowerment. Read more

The voice of youth is often overlooked but if we are to make substantial headway in changing NCD related behaviours we must identify and encourage youth champions such as these young people from TT and Jamaica.

Healthy Caribbean Coalition

News Roundup

CARPHA CARPHA’s 59th Caribbean Health Research Conference addresses Non-communicable Diseases as a Health and Economic Development Priority - Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, April 28, 2014. Chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) remain a major cause for concern in the Region as the prevalence and mortality rates in the Caribbean are among the highest in the world, and the costs are not sustainable to families, business and government. For this reason, NCDs – Through the Life Course has been chosen as the theme for the 59th Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Health Research Conference in Aruba this year. Read more

Turning great health threats into great opportunities

Turning great health threats into great opportunities

The 2009 UCL-Lancet Commission stated that “climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century”. The Lancet has also stated that NCDs are one of the major challenges for sustainable development in the 21st century. These are two urgent contemporary human challenges that must be tackled together. If we can align our policy agendas, we have the chance to turn two great threats into two great opportunities. Read more

Dr. Kenneth College Health App of the Month Dr. Kenneth Connell - Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and- Associate Consultant & Coordinator of Resistant HTN clinic QEH, will be writing a regular feature on the use of Medical App technology. He developed an interest in the use of app technology in Internal Medicine 2 years ago and has tried over 150 med Apps to date!. "I believe that the use of App technology in medicine will enhance engagement by doctors in making critical decisions with bedside decision making tools. It had. Changed the way I manage and interact with patients." said Dr. Connell.

ASCVD scoring App The ASCVD scoring App is based on the pool data cohort 2013 and was released at the annual AHA meeting in Dallas October 2013. The App calculates the 10 year CVD Risk and is used as a tool for the use of "statin" treatment. An important change in the management has occurred with the new guidelines - treating CVD risk and NOT treating to LDL/HDL/Trig levels. Once risk has been determined, "physicians should optimize statins at the recommended target dose" with no need to follow cholesterol response panels.

This App allows for the entry of specific parameters - Age, gender, BP, HDL etc - and uniquely includes ethnicity in its calculation. A summary sheet is automatically generated and can be emailed or printed for the patient.

Overall App rating 7/10(2/2 Relevance 1.5/2 convenience, 2/2 Patient friendly, 1/2 display, 0.5/2 - EVB references).

The App allows for the quick and convenient determination of global CVD risk allowing for patient interaction in the medical interview; patients see their numbers generated before their eyes! The app is available on itunes here

NCD Alliance Webinar - Please register for this meeting - The NCD Alliance will be holding our next webinar on Wednesday 7th May at 10:00 – 11:30 am EST/16:00 – 17:30 CET. Please note that there will be only one webinar broadcast. The powerpoint slides and recording will be made available on the NCD Alliance website after the webinar. Please join us for an update on: 67th World Health Assembly, UN Review on NCDs, Post 2015. In addition, we invite our participants to submit questions prior to the webinar by 5th May by emailing us at info@ncdalliance.org. Participants will also be able to send questions and feedback during the webinar. Register here

NCD Alliance E-Alert - The NCD Alliance is broadening its partner base - In recognition of the growing number of partners and stakeholders in the NCD movement and following recommendations of the 2012 NCD Alliance Strategic Review, the NCD Alliance is expanding and broadening our governance structure. World Health Assembly preparations - The World Health Assembly (WHA) – 19-24 May - is now just a few weeks away. Read more

Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly only weeks away - The Sixty-seventh session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) takes place in Geneva during 19–24 May 2014. The WHA is the supreme decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the WHA are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more

Biennial General Meeting and Professional Development Summit - The Caribbean Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians & The Bahamian Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians, present their Biennial General Meeting and Professional Development Summit. Under the theme: “Influencing Excellence in the Profession of Nutrition and Dietetics” June 18th - 20th 2014 at Super Clubs Breezes Resort & Spa, Nassau, Bahamas. Download the summit pack (including programme, registration and resort details here

BBC Radio Soundbites

  • The Increased Risk of Falls with Blood Pressure Medication - At least 60% of adults over the age of 65 in industrialised countries are taking medication to lower their high blood pressure. The idea is to protect them against heart attacks and stroke, but for the average elderly person, new research has found that taking these pills increases your risk of having a serious fall. Listen here
  • Chikungunya Disease - Why the spread of the mosquito-borne virus to the Caribbean islands is causing concern. Listen here

NCD Articles on WebMD

  • Is There A Natural Cure for Asthma? - With all the new findings on alternative medicine and natural remedies, you may wonder if there’s a natural cure for asthma. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma at this point. Read more
  • Hypoglycemia and Diabetes - In people with diabetes, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) develops when there is not enough sugar (glucose) in your body to be used as fuel for cells. A number of different factors can cause hypoglycemia, including certain medications and diet. Read more
  • Pot Smoking May Pose Heart Dangers, Study Suggests - WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2014 -- Marijuana use might contribute to heart and artery disease among young and middle-aged adults, particularly those already at risk for cardiovascular problems, a small French study reports. Read more
  • Before You Begin Cancer Treatment - There’s no preparing for a cancer diagnosis. But when it comes to cancer treatment, there are things you can do to get ready for what’s ahead. Experts say even taking small steps can improve your sense of well-being and control. 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
Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter See us on You Tube

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.

If you do not want to receive future emails from the Healthy Caribbean Coalition please send an email with Unsubscribe in the subject line to unsubscribe@healthycaribbean.org

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