Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment Wellness Committee

by HCC
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment Wellness Committee
COMMITTEE PROFILE
Status as at September 2023 Inactive
<!----> <!-- -->
Country Antigua and Barbuda
Name Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment Wellness Committee
Status as at September 2023 Inactive
Date of establishment -
Date of first meeting -
Date of last meeting 8 Sept, 2021
Number of meetings over past 12 months -
Chairperson’s name Valarie Williams
Title NCD Coordinator
Organisational affiliation -
Duration of tenure -
Legal authority/reference Established by the Ministry of Health
Location(sector/entity) -
Mandate/Scope of work
  • Providing advice to government on NCD legislation/policy/regulations/programmes,
  • Advocacy,
  • Programme development and implementation,
  • Monitoring and evaluation,
  • Health Promotion,
  • Communicating for health.
Terms of reference Yes-
Conflict of interest policy No
Code of ethics No
Standard operating procedures No
NNCDC strategic plan/plan of action Yes (Plan is outdated)
Decision-making process (consensus, majority, other) -
Membership and Personnel 12
Government sector membership and level of representation
  • Ministry of Education
  • Ministry of Health
  • Community Nursing
  • Nutrition Department
  • Health Information
  • Medical Benefits Scheme
Civil society membership and level of representation Antigua Diabetes Association
Private sector membership and level of representation None
Ex officio members -
Secretariat exists? If so, please give date of establishment No
Resources The NNCDC does not have its own resources. But it receives general funds from the Ministry of Health, Funds form PAHO, OECS and other social partners
Full-time human resources/functions -
Part-time human resources/functions -
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,
  • Health Promotion,
  • Communicating for health.
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 -
Accountability mechanisms (periodicity of monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and to whom; financial accountability mechanisms) None
Main successes
  • Low sodium in diet of children with mothers of school aged children,
  • National stakeholders meeting on SSBs,
  • Launch of childhood obesity conference,
  • Art Students Against Obesity mural painted at the Antigua Girls High School by art students of the school.
Success factors
  • Stakeholders collaboration,
  • Communication,
  • Building partnerships
Specifically
  • Were there any successes due mainly to the participation of non-health sectors in the Commission?
  • If yes, please summarize, highlighting the role played by the non-health sector(s)
 -
Main challenges
  • Lack of finances,
  • Some committee members do not attend meetings and support the initiatives of the committee,
  • Other competing priorities of the ministry.
How were these challenges overcome? Specifically:
  • Did changes in administration disrupt the Commission’s functioning?
  • If yes, what were these changes and their effects?
  • If no, how was continuity of function maintained? What steps were taken?
 No Response
Partnerships, technical cooperation (TC) – please summarize partners and relevant TC areas -
Main source(s) of funding and approximate percentage of funding from each source -
Indicative annual budget (USD) -
Resource mobilisation, main areas -
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 -
Increase public awareness about mental health and how to stop discrimination through campaigns that involve
individuals living with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities		 Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • I AM ABLE Conference - sought to contribute towards the development of a more inclusive society by addressing the marginalisation and discrimination of people with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

    #IAMABLE OUTCOME DOCUMENT
Introduce brief interventions for hazardous substance use -
Advocate with other sectors such as housing, education, social welfare etc for the support of people with mental disorders
and psychosocial disabilities		 Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • I AM ABLE Conference - sought to contribute towards the development of a more inclusive society by addressing the marginalisation and discrimination of people with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

    #IAMABLE OUTCOME DOCUMENT
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?
  • Yes: Example: Abstinence Campaign An important message to the youth - HIV IS REAL...ABSTINENCE IS KEY. National Youth Ambassador Julien Kentish, with responsibilities to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, urges young persons to practice abstinence, and focus instead on their education https://fb.watch/9lvaVqtC2s/
5 NCD RISK FACTORS
TOBACCO USE
Reduced affordability of tobacco products by increasing tobacco excise taxes and prices Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Bill passed to prohibit the sale of individual sticks of tobacco products and to include a minimum package size
Tobacco Control Act 2018
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:
Warn individuals of the dangers of tobacco and tobacco smoke through effective health warnings and mass media campaigns Promoted/Currently Promoting:
Implement and enforce bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship were advocated for and included in tobacco control legislation.
Ban the sale of tobacco to minors NA
Support plain packaging and pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Plain standardized labelling of cigarettes with pictorial health warning was advocated for and included in tobacco control legislation.
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/Currently Promoting:
  • E-cigarette control was advocated for and included in tobacco control legislation.
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
Raise public awareness of physical inactivity through mass media public spaces and other programmes Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Family Based Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for persons with Type II Diabetes in collaboration with OECS, World Diabetes Foundation and the Antigua and Barbuda Diabetes Association.

    The program recruited 20 participants from the community clinics and ran for 6 weeks from September 21st to October 28th 2021 at the Villa Community Center. This program was targeted to persons living with Type II diabetes who attended the community clinics as well as a support person.

    Participants completed modules on self -management, diet, physical activity, foot care and peer support with the goal of promoting behaviour change for improved health.
  • Now More Than Ever: We Need to Protect Our Children Campaign: which seeks promote the overall health and well-being of children and young people and build support for healthy environments with a focus on increased access to nutritious foods.
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 Promoted/Currently Promoting:
Replace trans fats with unsaturated fat Promoted/Currently Promoting:
Raise public awareness of unhealthy diet through mass media and other programmes Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Healthy Eating Mural focuses on the promotion of healthy eating to prevent obesity, diabetes and other health complications, and advocate for behavioral changes in the food choices of the children (Dec 2020).
  • Now More Than Ever: We Need to Protect Our Children Campaign: which seeks promote the overall health and well-being of children and young people and build support for healthy environments with a focus on increased access to nutritious foods.
Place taxes on sugar sweetened beverages Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Workshop on Tax on Sugar Sweetened Beverages- “There was unanimous consent on the need to use the revenue derived from the SSB taxes to fund specific health, sporting and youth initiatives #HelpFightChildhoodObesity and reduce the threat of #NonCommunicableDiseases (July 2017)”
Implement nutritional labelling policies which promote consumption of healthier foods and beverages Promoted/currently Promoting:
Develop and implement school policies which restrict the availability of unhealthy foods and beverages within schools and their surroundings Promoted/Currently Promoting:
HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL
Raise excise taxes on alcoholic beverages Promoted/Currently Promoted:
  • Fiscal policies on alcohol are being considered as part of the alcohol policy under discussion
Caribbean Subregional Workshop on Alcohol, Tobacco and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Taxation Accra Beach Hotel, Barbados, May 16-17, 2017 Workshop Report
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 -
HCC AND COMSEC National NCD Commission Consultation in Antigua

A three day NCD Commission Consultation meeting in Antigua & Barbuda (ATG), 8-10 August 2016, provided an opportunity to continue COMSEC’s technical cooperation (TC) with Ministries of Health in Caribbean countries to establish/strengthen multisectoral National Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Commissions (NNCDCs), as recommended in the 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs by the CARICOM Heads of Government. The TC began with an assessment of NNCDCs in September 2015, which was done in partnership with the HCC and led to the publication of the document “A Civil Society Report on National NCD Commissions in the Caribbean – Towards a More Effective Multisectoral Response to NCDs, Part I“. Subsequently, in response to an identified need to provide guidance to Commissions for their establishment and strengthening, the COMSEC-HCC partnership produced the draft document “A Framework for the Establishment and Strengthening of National NCD Commissions – Towards a More Effective Multisectoral Response to NCDs, Part II“.

Read more

National NCD Commission Consultation in Antigua

Members of the Antigua and Barbuda Wellness Committee