GUYANA PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NCDS
COMMISSION PROFILE
| Status as at September 2023 | Active |
| Country | Guyana |
| Name | Presidential Commission for the Prevention and Control of NCDs |
| Status as at September 2023 | Inactive |
| Date of establishment | - |
| Date of first meeting | September 2014 launch |
| Date of last meeting | August, 2021. The NNCDC meets monthly. |
| Number of meetings over past 12 months | The Commission plans to meet quarterly |
| Chairperson’s name | Dr. Leslie S. Ramsammy |
| Title | MP |
| Organisational affiliation | - |
| Duration of tenure | - |
| Legal authority/reference | Presidential/Prime Ministerial/Cabinet decree. |
| Location(sector/entity) | - |
| Mandate/Scope of work | Advocacy, advise on policy / legislation / programmes, implementation of programmes, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation and research |
| Terms of reference | Yes |
| Conflict of interest policy | No |
| Code of ethics | No |
| Standard operating procedures | No |
| NNCDC strategic plan/plan of action Duration of strategy of plan of action | Yes: Last plan 2013-2020. Present one 2020-2030 (Draft awaiting MOH approval) |
| Decision-making process (consensus, majority, other) | Consensus |
| Membership and Personnel | 23 commissioners, 1 secretary |
| Government sector membership and level of representation | Ministries of Education, Youth Sports & Culture, Labour, human Services & Social Security, Local Government, Tourism, Industry & Commerce, Agriculture, Finance, and a representative from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Agriculture Education Finance Foreign Affairs Health Social services Trade/Industry/Business |
| Civil society membership and level of representation | Trade Union, Consumer Protection Organizations, Professional Health Organisations, Health NGOs, University of Guyana, Canada-Guyana Medical Coalition, Guyana Faith-based Coalition. On rotation: Community-based organizations and Service Organizations University of Guyana Press Association Red Cross Guyana Medical Council Guyana Diabetes Association/td> |
| Private sector membership and level of representation | Guyana Media Association Private Sector Commission |
| International organizations | PAHO/WHO, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) |
| Ex officio members | 4 Ex officio members |
| Secretariat exists? If so, please give date of establishment | Yes |
| Resources | A secretariat will be established to support the work of the NCD Commission. It will be based at the Ministry of Health and be responsible for the planning, implementation and reporting on the Commission’s Program of Work. It will prepare an annual budget and work program for the Commission’s approval and funding, through the Agency Budget of Health. The secretariat will employ the necessary staff, on approval of the Commission, through the Public Services Contractual programme. The NNCDC procures its own resources from subvention from the National Budget |
| Full-time human resources/functions | No |
| Part-time human resources/functions | No |
| Main functions (advisory, accountability, strategic planning, project/programme implementation, other) | Providing advice to government on NCD legislation/policy/regulations/programmes Advocacy Programme development and implementation Monitoring and evaluation Promotion of research Health promotion Communicating for health Resource mobilisation |
| Main areas of interventions for NCDs and NCD risk factors | - |
| Other health issues that the NCD/Wellness Commission /Wellness Coordinating Mechanism addresses | - |
| - |
| Framework(s) of reference (national policy, strategy or plan; international plans/strategies) | - |
| Focus of interventions (legislation, taxation, policy development, project/programme development, project/programme implementation, capacity building, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, other) | - |
| Work groups/subcommittees/task forces and their functions | There will be sub-committees on different topics which can engage external experts if necessary |
| Accountability mechanisms (periodicity of monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and to whom; financial accountability mechanisms) | Occurs every 2 years. Minutes of meeting sent to Minister of Health and to President, quarterly report submitted to Minister of Health and Office of the President. |
| Main successes | Began a program to distribute glucometers to diabetic patients National Communication on NCDs CMEs on NDCs Support Research - Adolescent Health Work with MOE to regulate food vendors around school |
| Success factors | - |
| Specifically | |
| - |
| Main challenges | Lack of resources Small staff |
How were these challenges overcome? Specifically:
| Volunteers Mobilize private sector support |
| Partnerships, technical cooperation (TC) – please summarize partners and relevant TC areas | None |
| Main source(s) of funding and approximate percentage of funding from each source | None |
| Indicative annual budget (USD) | None |
| Resource mobilisation, main areas | None |
| Mechanisms for sustainability | None |
NNCDC ADVOCACY WORK
| Status as at December 2021 | Active |
MENTAL HEALTH| Develop and implement a comprehensive mental health plan that complies with international human rights instruments, includes allocated human and financial resources, and undergoes regular monitoring against indicators or targets for implementation | - |
| Decriminalize suicide, suicide attempts and other acts of self-harm | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Increase public awareness about mental health and how to stop discrimination through campaigns that involve individuals living with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities | - |
| Introduce brief interventions for hazardous substance use | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Advocate with other sectors such as housing, education, social welfare etc for the support of people with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities | - |
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT| Does the NNCDC structure include a position for a youth representative? | - |
| Is the NNCDC connected to other organizations that prioritize youth engagement? | - |
| Has the NNCDC utilized social media campaigns to target youth? | - |
5 NCD RISK FACTORS
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TOBACCO USE| Reduced affordability of tobacco products by increasing tobacco excise taxes and prices | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Protect people from tobacco smoke by creating, by law, implementing completely smoke-free environments in all indoor workplaces, public places, and public transport | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Warn individuals of the dangers of tobacco and tobacco smoke through effective health warnings and mass media campaigns | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Implement and enforce bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Ban the sale of tobacco to minors | Promoted:
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| Support plain packaging and pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages | Promoted:
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| Implement measures to minimize illicit trade in tobacco products | - |
| Assess the usage and impact of e-cigarettes, and develop appropriate control measures if indicated, including through legislation and regulations for tobacco control | Promoted:
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PHYSICAL INACTIVITY| Raise public awareness of physical inactivity through mass media public spaces and other programmes | Promoted/Currently Promoted:
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| Develop population-based, age-specific guidelines on physical activity. | - |
| Advocate for the design of public spaces that are supportive of physical activity. | - |
UNHEALTHY DIET| Reduce salt intake and salt content of food | - |
| Replace trans fats with unsaturated fat | - |
| Raise public awareness of unhealthy diet through mass media and other programmes | |
| Place taxes on sugar sweetened beverages | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Implement nutritional labelling policies which promote consumption of healthier foods and beverages | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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| Develop and implement school policies which restrict the availability of unhealthy foods and beverages within schools and their surroundings | Promoted/Currently Promoting:
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HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL| Raise excise taxes on alcoholic beverages | - |
| Regulate commercial and public availability of alcohol | - |
| Enforce restrictions or bans on alcohol promotion and advertising | - |
| Collaborate with NGOs and Ministry of Transport to educate the public on the harmful use of alcohol | - |
| Advocate for the introduction of breathalyser testing | - |
AIR POLLUTION| Improve housing conditions and ensure access to clean energy sources for indoor cooking, heating and lighting | - |
| Create awareness and develop appropriate strategies to reduce exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in households | - |
| Phase out health-harmful subsidies for fossil fuels and polluting industries and introduce penalties for polluters and/or taxes on pollution | - |
| Include air quality measures in urban, rural and transport planning at city, regional and national level, including measures to encourage modal shift and active mobility, noting the additional benefits to health, wellbeing, and reduction of health inequalities | - |
| Adopt and strictly enforce emissions standards for all pollutants in all relevant sectors, including industry, energy, transport, waste, and agricultures | - |