What if creating a healthier Caribbean does not begin with telling young people what to eat, how to exercise or how to live but by giving them the knowledge, confidence and voice to shape healthier choices for themselves and their communities?
For many young people across the Caribbean, wellness is not simply a matter of knowing what the “right” choice is. It is about whether we have the opportunity and environment to make that choice. We are told to eat healthier, but nutritious food may not always be the most accessible or affordable option. We are encouraged to be active, but safe and inclusive spaces to move are not also available or well maintained. We are told to take care of our mental health, yet conversations about mental wellbeing can still be met with stigma, silence or uncertainty about where to seek support. We cannot keep telling young people to make healthier choices without asking whether we are making those choices practical, affordable and accessible.
This is why the theme for Caribbean Wellness Day 2026 to Engage, Empower and Elevate Youth matters. Wellness is not about individual behavior, it is a shared responsibility that requires a multisectoral approach, supportive cultures and environments, accessible services and inclusive policies that enable young people to thrive.
To engage young people means more than asking young people for their opinions. It requires listening to us early, visibility in creating spaces where our own experiences and ideas can shape decisions, influence change and opportunities for action.
In a world where challenges facing our communities can feel larger than any one person, empowering young people means giving us knowledge, confidence and support to make informed decisions. It also means reminding us that asking for help, speaking honestly about how we feel and supporting another is not a weakness. Mental health is part of our wellness, and the invisible challenges we carry deserve the same attention as those we can see.
To elevate means recognising that young people are not simply beneficiaries of health interventions. We are ambassadors of change, innovators, advocates, leaders and partners in improving health outcomes across our communities and the Caribbean.
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s Hope for the Future 3.0 initiative demonstrates what this looks like. Through interactive youth-centred activities, children and youth across six islands explored ultra-processed foods, food marketing and the forces influencing their choices. In Trinidad and Tobago, they were not simply told what was healthy vs unhealthy. Children questioned what they were seeing, explored how marketing influences choices and imaged what a healthier school environment could look like through the “My Dream School” component of the activity. That is the kind of wellness conversation we need, one that does not blame young people for the environments they inherit, but equips them to help transform them.
Caribbean Wellness must therefore become a regional priority; policymakers, businesses, schools, and civil society organizations must work together to create environments in which healthier choices are not only encouraged, but also practical and accessible so that it becomes the norm. The Caribbean has a unique opportunity to redefine what wellness looks like for our region, the rising burden of NCDs, food insecurity and climate change unites us in a way that allows us to tailor our solutions.
Ultimately a healthier Caribbean cannot be created by simply telling people to make better choices. So, let us engage young people. Empower us, elevate us, because we are not waiting to become the future of the Caribbean.
We are already helping shape it today.
Chelsea Antoine is a public health and project management professional at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), with experience supporting regional health initiatives across the Caribbean. Her work spans monitoring and evaluation, youth engagement and health advocacy, with a focus on using evidence and collaboration to advance healthier, more equitable communities.
Latifah Holder is a public health specialist with a focus on programme and project planning. Passionate about noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), health education and community engagement, she is committed to developing and delivering impactful health campaigns and using her skills to serve and strengthen Caribbean communities.
Danielle Mullings is a multidisciplinary professional harnessing technology and storytelling to transform health, education, and youth empowerment. She serves on Jamaica’s National Artificial Intelligence Task Force and the RJR Gleaner Youth Advisory Board, and has represented Jamaica in global fora on technology and health innovation. She has also collaborated with UNICEF Jamaica, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and Transform Health, amplifying Caribbean perspectives in national and international development.
Chelsea, Latifah and Danielle are members of Healthy Caribbean Youth, the youth arm of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition.