OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ALL OF THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE BERYL 

Op-ed written by members of the Healthy Caribbean Youth.

It’s June 2024 and the Caribbean region is bustling with excitement. The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States recently concluded, with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) policymakers determined to collaborate on a future of resilience and sustainability. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament is also captivating audiences across the region. It's fascinating how these high-profile events generate such a flurry of activity, yet significant initiatives that are central to regional development often slip under the radar. 

Take, for instance, the crucial issue of the implementation of octagonal front-of-package warning labelling (FOPWL) across CARICOM. Octagonal FOPWL helps consumers quickly, easily and correctly identify food products high in sugar, fat and sodium. These products, when consumed in excess, can lead to diet-related conditions like non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Octagonal FOPWL - a system that involves easy-to-understand ‘black stop signs’ on the front of packaged products – was rejected by the majority of CARICOM Member States. Youth health advocates across the region are asking, why? 

The Caribbean has one of the highest rates of NCDs and childhood obesity in the Americas. Octagonal FOPWL is among a suite of policies proven to reduce NCDs. It is backed by growing regional and international evidence, free of conflict of interest. 

By identifying products high in sugar, fat and sodium, octagonal FOPWL supports other policies, like school nutrition policies and marketing restrictions, aimed at comprehensively shaping healthier food environments. Research conducted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the University of West Indies suggests that if octagonal FOPWL was implemented in Barbados, it would avert 16% of the deaths caused by NCDs and save the country USD 732.8 million annually. 

Pierre Cooke Jr, HCC Youth Voices Technical Advisor

WHO: The International financing dialogue for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health is a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group. The meeting supports the preparatory process leading up to the Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and mental health in 2025. 

The international financing dialogue brought together 150 participants including representatives from selected Member States across different sectors (primarily health and finance), WHO, UN agencies, the World Bank and other multilateral organizations, interested non-State actors, including civil society and people living with NCDs and mental health conditions. Pierre Cooke Jr, HCC Youth Voices Technical Advisor was one of the panellists.

Emerging Youth Leader Award, inset Johanna Ralston, CEO of the World Obesity Federation presenting the award to Pierre Pierre Cooke Jr

Pierre Cooke Jr, HCC Youth Voices Technical Advisor received the Emerging Youth Leader Award from World Obesity Federation 29 June, 2024 at the International Conference on Obesity (ICO) which was held in São Paulo Brazil 26 to 29 June 2024.

Members of the National Youth Parliament Association

Photo: Robert A Emmanuel

Antigua Observer: Members of the National Youth Parliament Association of Antigua and Barbuda (NYPAAB) held a parliamentary debate last week Friday, seeking to raise awareness on the importance of healthy eating through a discussion on increasing taxes on sugary foods. The NYPAAB is a registered non-profit organisation whose main aim is to give youth a platform to not only debate issues facing youth in Antigua and Barbuda but also training them to become future community leaders.

SAVE THE DATE

HCC 9th Annual General Assembly

Tuesday 16th July 2024 

10am - 12pm AST

(from left) Irma Bailey-Reyes, Coordinator, Child Affairs Division, Gender and Child Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad and Tobago, Martin Aeberli, Chief Commercial Officer, Caribbean Airlines, Sanjay Singh, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Gender and Child Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad & Tobago, Vijay Gangapersad, Permanent Secretary (Ag), Gender and Child Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad & Tobago, The Honourable Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Trinidad & Tobago responsible for Gender and Child Affairs, Pieter Bult, Representative, UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area, Bertrand Moses, Child Protection Officer (MHPSS), UNICEF Eastern Caribbean Area, Dr Katija Khan, Lecturer in Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of The University of the West Indies, Makesi Francis, USAID Youth Council Representative, Trinidad and Tobago.

Photo: UNICEF

Children and young people from 17 countries across the Caribbean now have access to the Caribbean’s first comprehensive regional mental health resources support website www.youngcaribbeanminds.com. The initiative was launched and spearheaded by UNICEF, USAID, and Let’s Unpack It, in collaboration with governments and young people from 17 Caribbean countries, The University of the West Indies, The Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Caribbean Airlines.

Children and young people from 17 countries across the Caribbean now have access to the Caribbean’s first comprehensive regional mental health resources support website www.youngcaribbeanminds.com. The initiative was launched and spearheaded by UNICEF, USAID, and Let’s Unpack It, in collaboration with governments and young people from 17 Caribbean countries, The University of the West Indies, The Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Caribbean Airlines.

WHO: A new guideline published by the World Health Organization provides recommendations on measures for creating food environments that enable healthy dietary decisions. This includes fiscal policies that discourage consuming foods that contribute to unhealthy diets and encourage consuming healthier foods through subsidies and other support. The current food environment in which many people live, work, and spend their daily lives consists of highly processed and readily available foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium. Many of these foods are also heavily marketed and relatively cheap. As a result, consumers are often challenged to make healthy food-related decisions. Unhealthy diets are now a leading global public health risk, contributing to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancers.

Photo: Pixabay

Global Mental Health Action Network: At this year’s Advocacy Forum, we will bring together experts and advocates from 150+ countries, dedicated to improving mental health for all. Led by the Global Mental Health Action Network’s Working Groups, we will cover the detrimental impact of worsening climate conditions, strategies for tackling mental health stigma and discrimination, effective mental health storytelling and much, much more!

NCD Alliance: The annual Global Week for Action on NCDs seeks to ensure NCD prevention and management get the attention and action they deserve, everywhere, for everyone.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancers, diabetes, mental health conditions and many others, are the #1 cause of death and disability worldwide. They account for 74% of all deaths and more than three out of four years lived with a disability. If no clear action is taken to reverse this trend, deaths from NCDs could rise to 52 million — or the population of South Korea — per year by 2030.

CARPHA: The deadline for receipt of papers is December 13, 2024. 

Papers are selected based on scientific merit and relevance to the health priorities areas of the Caribbean. Submitting Authors may request oral or poster presentation but the final assignment of accepted papers will be made by the scientific review committee.

The HCC is seeking to expand our database of consultants with expertise in the area of NCD prevention and control. The HCC relies on consultants to support the implementation of our projects in the short, medium and long-term. To this end we are inviting individual consultants and consulting firms to submit CVs to the HCC. Submitted CVs will be reviewed to ensure they meet the selection criteria and if successful they will be placed in our consultant database. Please note that consultants do not need to be based in the Caribbean but must meet the selection criteria outlined. The database will be the first resource we turn to when consultancy opportunities arise.