The purpose of this resource is to safeguard public health nutrition in the Caribbean during emergencies by providing guidelines for the management of donations from the commercial sector. 

These Guidelines provide guidance on the types of food, beverage, financial and inkind donations, that provide healthy, nutritious food options and protect the diets of Caribbean people in need (including people living with noncommunicable diseases or NCDs), particularly during emergency response situations.

The Guidelines are based on the principles of human rights and equity that entitle every Caribbean person, including those who are vulnerable (such as PLWNCDs or children) or living in vulnerable conditions (such as emergency situations), access to adequate food.

On the 29 November 2024, HCC held it’s ninth annual Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Day (CARD 2024) under the theme, Unmasking Influence: Regulating Alcohol Marketing in the Caribbean. The webinar was attended by over one hundred people. This being the ninth year of implementation of CARD, a day first celebrated in 2016 as an initiative led by the HCC and regional partners with the aim of building public awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption and building public and policymaker support for the implementation of evidence-informed alcohol policies recommended by PAHO/WHO outlined in the WHO Safer Technical Package and the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030.

As climate-related events worsen, the relationship between climate, food, nutrition and health systems becomes increasingly apparent. There is an urgent need for multisectoral action to strengthen regional food systems to safeguard the health and resilience of communities.

On December 5th, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition hosted a webinar, “Feeding Communities in the Eye of the Storm: Food Systems, Nutrition and Natural Disasters”. The event brought together a diverse group of critical stakeholders to:

• launch the HCC’s newest resource – Safeguarding Public Health Nutrition in the Caribbean During Emergencies: Guidelines for Managing Donations from the Commercial Sector.
• unpack the impact of Natural Disasters on Food Systems in the Caribbean.
• discuss strategies to safeguard public health nutrition and strengthen regional food systems before, during and after times of disaster.

Speakers shared numerous strategies to safeguard nutrition, including strengthening relationships with the agricultural sector, ensuring that a nutritionist is included in local and regional disaster response teams, investing in school nutrition and feeding programs, meaningfully engaging grassroots organizations before, during, and after crises, and prioritizing research—particularly research that highlights the unique perspectives of those directly impacted by the crisis. Finally, it was highlighted throughout the webinar that the commercial determinants of health continue to impede non-communicable disease (NCD) progress in the region. The newly launched guidelines are a valuable tool within a toolkit to help governments and other key stakeholders manage conflicts of interest and safeguard public health nutrition.

The Power of Big Soda

The Olympic Games captured the attention of people across the globe. The 30.6 million average primetime viewership was 82% higher than the audience of the 2020 Tokyo Games – an incredible feat for the broadcast networks behind the Games. However, Olympic viewers were not just taking in the incredible achievements of athletes - viewers were also bombarded with overt and more surreptitious adverts for the Games’ longest standing partner: Coca-Cola - the largest soda company in the world.

The Olympic Games have been sponsored by this single beverage company since 1928 and their current contract extends until the 2032 Brisbane Games. The term ‘Big Soda’ refers to the global multimillion dollar soft drink industry giants. Sponsoring a large sporting event like the Olympics provides ‘Big Soda’ companies like Coca-Cola with unparalleled opportunities to market their products to enormous audiences, despite their negative impacts on viewers’ health and the environment. Additionally, sponsorship of sporting events allows companies to associate their products with historic moments and leading athletes. This practice, known as "sports washing," gives unhealthy items like sugary drinks a misleading "health halo”, disguised as healthy while their overconsumption fuels the obesity and noncommunicable disease (NCD) crisis.

On November 23, 2024 the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus presented Nicole Foster with the Principal’s Award for Excellence 2024/25 in the category of Outstanding Contribution to Public Service in recognition on her unique and impactful public service work focussed on the use of law in NCD prevention and control, together with her broader community engagement. Nicole’s work as Policy Advisor with Healthy Caribbean Coalition, a role she has held since 2015, has been the core of her public service work to date. Her public service spans both the governmental and non-governmental spaces and was recognised as having significantly ‘improved the stature of the campus and university in the eyes of the public’ while creating valuable opportunities for deeper and more meaningful policy engagement by varied stakeholders on issues of national and regional significance. 

Nicole’s public service extends beyond her NCD advocacy to include activities such as acting as a facilitator and judge for the Barbados Rotary’s Model United Nations programme since 2017 and mentoring young female international lawyers as part of the American Society of International Law’s Women in International Law Interest Group mentorship programme. She also serves on several boards and committees including the Advisory Committee of Regional Experts for CARICOM IMPACS’ ‘Pathway to Policy’ project on public health and violence; the Steering Committee of the Caribbean Public Health Law Forum, the Barbados National NCD Commission and the Board of Trustees of the Barbados Diabetes Foundation. Her varied and impactful public service is driven by her strong sense of social responsibility and a desire to give back to the region which has given her so much. We look forward to her continuing to lead the charge to transform the Caribbean public health landscape through the use of law.

Nicole’s public service extends beyond her NCD advocacy to include activities such as acting as a facilitator and judge for the Barbados Rotary’s Model United Nations programme since 2017 and mentoring young female international lawyers as part of the American Society of International Law’s Women in International Law Interest Group mentorship programme. She also serves on several boards and committees including the Advisory Committee of Regional Experts for CARICOM IMPACS’ ‘Pathway to Policy’ project on public health and violence; the Steering Committee of the Caribbean Public Health Law Forum, the Barbados National NCD Commission and the Board of Trustees of the Barbados Diabetes Foundation. Her varied and impactful public service is driven by her strong sense of social responsibility and a desire to give back to the region which has given her so much. We look forward to her continuing to lead the charge to transform the Caribbean public health landscape through the use of law. 

This highly anticipated annual event is a celebration of the University’s core values, and the recipients of these prestigious awards are persons who have proven themselves exemplars of The UWI’s commitment to the pursuit of excellence. The awardees are peer-nominated and selected following a rigorous assessment process, first at the campus level, then by a university-wide selection committee for the final selection

Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition:   The Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados recently announced the results of its post-campaign evaluation of Octagonal Warning Labels Save Lives. The campaign ran from March 4-April 26, 2024 and July 1-31, 2024 with key partners PAHO, UNICEF, HCC and CAIHR. 

The study found that 93% of Barbadians support the implementation of Octagonal Warning Labels, which follows the 2022 study that showed 75% support for Front-of-Package Warning Labels. There is a growing concern about the impact of ultra-processed products on the health of Barbadians, with parents especially cautious about protecting their children. The evaluation also showed that those who were aware of the campaign found Octagonal Warning Labels to be more direct, and easily understandable when compared with the traditional nutrition facts panel.

L to R: Programme Manager for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB), Francine Charles; co-chair of the coalition, Professor Anne St John; co-chair Nicole Griffith; and Mass Media Campaign Officer for HSFB, Khrystal Walcott

Photo: (JB) Barbados Today

Barbados Today:   Health campaigners on Wednesday reported progress in their efforts to combat childhood obesity, unveiling a series of innovative measures aimed at creating healthier environments for children. Central to these efforts is the long-mooted introduction of octagonal warning labels on ultra-processed foods—a policy poised to empower consumers to make healthier choices and reduce alarming rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the nation’s youth.

World Bank Group:  HCC President Dr Kenneth Connell is one of the distinguished speakers at this World Bank Group Webinar.  Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major health and economic challenge in the Caribbean, mirroring the global trend where these diseases are at the forefront of a public health crisis. In the Caribbean, over 75 percent of deaths were attributed to conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes in 2016; underscoring the critical nature of the challenge the region faces.

Acting Principal June Moe, poses with students and a teacher

Photo: Barbados Today

Barbados Today:    Springer Memorial School marked its 60th anniversary with a lively HYPE Day and Extravaganza, blending fun and education to tackle the growing issue of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among students. From energetic fitness sessions to health checks and nutritious food sampling, the event underscored the importance of healthy living for Barbados’ youth.

Image: The Chronicle website

The Chronicle:   In a significant move to address rising health concerns related to non-communicable diseases, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube announced the introduction of a Fast Foods Tax in his 2025 national budget statement. The tax is aimed at reducing the consumption of highly processed foods, which have been linked to obesity and other health issues. Minister Ncube highlighted that fast food consumption has been identified as a key contributor to the prevalence of these diseases in Zimbabwe. The proposed tax will be applied to a range of popular fast food items, including pizza, burgers, shawarma, French fries, chicken, and doughnuts, effective from January 1, 2025.

Our Views, Our Voices is an initiative of the NCD Alliance and people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that seeks to meaningfully involve people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs) in the fight against NCDs. In late November 2019, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition held an Our Views, Our Voices peer-led training workshop in Barbados. Participants engaged in fun activities which equipped them with skills to use their lived experience – as PLWNCDs or caregivers to PLWNCDs – to become meaningfully involved in NCD response. Attendees were encouraged to engage in advocacy by sharing their stories and using their voices to take action and drive change in the fight against NCDs. While our participants were all at different stages in their advocacy journeys, they came together to lend their voices to NCD advocacy efforts.