Highlights from the 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health held on 25 September 2025 (HLM4) under the theme “Equity and integration: transforming lives and livelihoods through leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being.”
HCC sends warm congratulations to Her Excellency Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of the Saint Vincent and Grenadines to the United Nations in New York for her stewardship of the HLM4 process in her capacity as Co-Facilitator alongside HE Ambassador Olivier Maes of Luxembourg.
We also wish to recognise and thank the CARICOM Permanent Missions of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Guyana for their significant roles as CARICOM Lead Negotiator and G77 Co-negotiator respectively.
CARICOM Secretariat in partnership with PAHO, CARPHA and HCC hosted a successful high-level side event at the HLM4 attended by many including: CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett; The Honourable Philip Davis Prime Minister of The Bahamas; The Hon. Dickon Mitchell Prime Minister of Grenada; Dr. The Honourable Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health of Jamaica; Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO/WHO Director; Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA and key global partners including NCD Alliance and the World Bank.
Prime Minister Davis delivered outstanding opening remarks addressing a range of issues including mental health and the intersection with climate change and the commercial determinants of health, stating that ‘regulation of harmful commercial practices is not a luxury it is protection of our citizens’ and ‘ we must confront the commercial forces driving diseases’. Prime Minister Mitchell of Grenada praised HEARTS and underscored the shared risk factors for mental health and NCDS and the need to place measures in place to identify risk of harm and suicide in young people. The Honourable Minister Tufton wrapped up the event highlighting the importance of Caribbean solidarity.
HCC President Dr. Kenneth Connnell and Executive Director attended the HLM4 and participated in the Plenary Session and the 1st Multistakeholder panel where Dr. Connell delivered an intervention from the floor. You can view Dr. Connell’s reading of the intervention here.
CARICOM Representation at the Plenary Session: Nine (9) CARICOM countries represented by Heads of Government and Ministers of Health delivered remarks during the Plenary session: The Republic of Suriname, Saint Kitts and Nevis on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Guyana. The Honourable Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, presented comments on behalf of CARICOM. His remarks acknowledged the important role of civil society with a specific mention of Healthy Caribbean Coalition. Prime Minister Drew in his comments also noted with concern that the Political Declaration did not reflect the urgency of the NCD crisis pointing to insufficiently bold targets.
Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, Senior Minister, Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados participated in a High-Level Side Event entitled: “One Vision, One Future: Rallying Global Momentum on NCDs for Generations to Come” at UNHQ on September 24, 2025. Minister Walcott’s comments touched on key steps Barbados has taken including taxation of SSBs, addressing childhood obesity in schools, investment in primary health care, upcoming trans fat legislation, partnerships across sectors and the role of the commercial sector. The recording of the side event can be found here.
For more on the HLM4, including seeing CARICOM country interventions, visit the WHO page here where you can view recordings from the Plenary and the 2 panels.
Visit the HLM4 WHO Media page here.
Here are some photos from the meeting.
