June 20, 2025

Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM, On the occasion of this, the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) calls on you, Caribbean Heads of Government and State, to indicate your commitment to addressing one of our region’s most pressing development issues – noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) - by attending the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4). The HLM4 will be held on September 25th, 2025 in New York during the 80th Meeting of the UN General Assembly 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.” 

The HLM4 comes at a critical time when globally and in the Caribbean, rising rates of NCDs - namely cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health conditions - are vastly outpacing prevention and control efforts. Eighteen years ago, CARICOM Member states played an important role in catapulting NCDs onto the global health agenda with the seminal Port of Spain Declaration. This was followed by the 1st UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2011 which was attended by a significant number of CARICOM Heads who declared in a strong, unified voice that the prevention and control of NCDs was of the highest priority for the region. Almost 20 years after the 1st UN High-Level Meeting, progress in NCD prevention and control is uneven and the 2024 Port of Spain Grid and the 2025 WHO Progress Monitor both reflect a region grossly off track to meet critical regional and global NCD targets including the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4. NCDs are the leading cause of premature deaths in the Caribbean where 40% of NCD deaths occur prematurely before the age of 70 years. As unnecessary death and disability continue to rise, so do the associated costs of preventing and controlling these diseases which place a significant burden on the limited economic resources of CARICOM States – a crisis worsened by the impact of food and nutrition insecurity and climate-related disasters. Within the context of aging and contracting populations and increasing economic and climate vulnerabilities, bold action on NCDs focusing equally on prevention and treatment and care is critical to promoting a secure and sustainable future for the Caribbean. 

In 2018, in lead up to the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, at the Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM Heads endorsed regional NCD advocacy priorities and commended civil society organisations for their efforts in NCD prevention and control. CARICOM Heads then went on to host a highly successful side-event on the day of the HLM3 attended by the Director General of the WHO and the Secretary General of CARICOM. 

At this 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health; in recognition of the continuing and untenable socioeconomic burden of NCDs in the region; and CARICOM’s legacy of leadership; we, the 85+ members of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition ask CARICOM Heads of Government and State to:

1. Commit to continued leadership on NCD prevention and control and commit to attendance at the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4) on September 25th, 2025 in the official Communiqué emerging from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
2. Support the twelve Caribbean civil-society led advocacy priorities for inclusion in the official Communiqué from the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and in the HLM4 Political Declaration.
   1. Engage communities and put people first in the NCD response.
   2. Address the commercial determinants of health and conflict of interest.
   3. Accelerate the implementation of healthy food environment environments.
   4. Promote full implementation of the WHO FCTC and the WHO MPOWER measures.
   5. Enhance physical activity across multiple settings.
   6. Accelerate the implementation of WHO SAFER alcohol harm reduction measures.
   7. Expand, integrate and strengthen mental health services.
   8. Eradicate cervical cancer, and reduce illness and premature death due to breast, prostate and colon cancers.
   9. Strengthen health systems using equity-, rights-based, and climate-resilient approaches.
   10. Breakdown silos, foster networking enhance collaboration.
   11. Mobilize investment, with resource allocation and mobilization strategies for sustainable financing of NCD prevention and control interventions.
   12. Strengthen accountability, mechanisms, metrics and related data collection, analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting at all levels.
3. Support one or more CARICOM Heads of Government or State to have a lead role in at least one of the multi-stakeholder panels at the HLM4.
4. Support the hosting of a high-level side-event on the margins of the HLM4 led by CARICOM Heads of Government and State as was done in past UN HLMs on NCDs.
5. Endorse the inclusion of a representative from a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representing people living with NCDs and a youth representative in country delegations to the HLM4 in recognition of the whole-of-society response to NCDs.

CARICOM has been globally recognised for its leadership on NCDs, including most recently with the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health. As Member States meet in New York on September 25th, 2025 for the HLM4, let us collectively demonstrate the leadership of CARICOM. Now is the Time to Lead Again. 

Dr. Kenneth Connell, HCC President On behalf of the Board of Directors and members of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition 

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On Monday 16th June 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), in collaboration with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Earth Medic Earth Nurse, hosted a regional webinar entitled: Putting People & Health First in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. This session drew over 200 registrants and brought together regional stakeholders, the media, experts, and advocates from across sectors to explore critical intersections between climate change, disaster preparedness, and health, with a special focus on ensuring inclusive, people-centered approaches for vulnerable populations, particularly persons living with noncommunicable diseases (PLWNCDs).

The webinar covered the following objectives:

• Explore the intersection of climate change, health emergencies, and NCDs and spotlight actors, experiences, and lessons learned from across the region.
• Explore the HCC Publication - Safeguarding Public Health Nutrition in the Caribbean During Emergencies: Guidelines for Managing Donations from the Commercial Sector.
• Officially launch the “Emergency Preparedness Brochure Series for Persons Living with NCDs (PLWNCDs)”.
• Highlight practical tools and strategies to support the integration of NCD needs into national and regional emergency preparedness, response and recovery and climate adaptation plans.

Presenters and Panellists

UNICEF: As hurricanes, floods and other climate-related disasters become more frequent and intense across the Caribbean, children and young people are taking the lead in protecting the mental health and resilience of their peers. 

In collaboration with UNICEF and regional partners, 42 young co-authors from 23 countries and territories have contributed to Young Caribbean Minds Volume 2: A Climate Change, Natural Disasters & Mental Health Game & Activity Book. The publication, launched at a regional symposium in late May during Mental Health Awareness Month offers creative, child-friendly tools to support emotional wellbeing in the face of climate stress and crisis.

Using art, colouring and interactive exercises, the resource helps children strengthen their mental health and learn practical coping skills. Many of the authors, some as young as nine years old, drew directly from their own experiences living through natural disasters, violence and other challenges.

Minister of Health and Wellness for Jamaica, Dr Christopher Tufton

Photo: Jamaica Gleaner website 

Jamaica Gleaner: Debate on the new Tobacco Control Bill will take place soon in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament, says Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton. 

He said that discussions on the Bill by members of the Joint Select Committee took some time, but that was done to ensure consensus was reached.

In an interview with JIS News, the Minister said he hopes debate on the Bill will be smooth, adding that they will have to spend some time on public education, because “it is a comprehensive legislation, which means a lot of new changes”.

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Sagicor: Hosted by Dr. Kenneth Connell, President of the HCC and Deputy Dean of Recruitment and Outreach at the UWI Faculty of Medicine, The Wellness Effect is a video podcast series designed to educate our communities about the dangers of NCDs. It will show the impact on not just their physical but their financial wellbeing. The series is a partnership between Sagicor, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the UWI Faculty of Medicine.

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Devex: As the 2025 deadline for the WHO’s noncommunicable disease targets approaches, global progress remains far off track. Despite clear evidence on how to prevent and treat NCDs, most countries are falling short — and inadequate, unsustainable financing is a key reason why. 

In this interview, Katie Dain, CEO of the NCD Alliance, speaks from the World Health Assembly in Geneva — which took place in May — about the current state of NCD response, the untapped potential of fiscal tools like health taxes, and the stakes ahead of the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs. 

With over 40 million deaths annually attributed to NCDs, the next few months will be critical for reshaping global commitment, says Dain

Cavan Lewis, Youth advocate, Jamaica (left) and Ishu Kataria NCD Alliance, Board of Directors

Photo: NCDA

NCD Alliance: Informal, cross-sector conversations fostering collaboration and inspiring action across the global NCD community. 

The NCD Alliance video series, Leadership Dialogues, spotlights practical leadership on noncommunicable disease (NCD) priorities. These informal, cross-sector conversations are central to our efforts to strengthen collaboration and accelerate action across the global NCD community.

Kick Big Soda Out of Sport ‘s new campaign has officially launched ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. This new campaign calls for an end to Big Soda’s sponsorship of football, and digital ads are now live across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google Ads.

Big Soda uses sport to “sportswash” its image—putting profits before public health. Kick Big Soda Out exposes and challenges Big Soda’s sponsorship of teams, athletes and sporting events worldwide. Together, we can build a future where sport celebrates health, not sugary drinks. Are you ready to Kick Big Soda Out? Sign up and join the movement!

Photo: PAHO/WHO

PAHO: Nassau, The Bahamas, June 14, 2025 - In keeping with the 2025 World Health Day theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, the Pan American World Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is supporting the Ministry of Health of The Bahamas with the promotion of breast feeding as a crucial element for a child’s healthy development and overall well-being as part of the maternal and child health programme.

WHO: The WHO Global alcohol action plan 2022-2030 aims to accelerate the implementation of high-impact interventions for alcohol consumption and related harm. Such interventions are often implemented through laws and regulations. This publication seeks to support countries in designing legislation and regulations to effectively implement policies that reduce population-level alcohol consumption and related harm, support compliance monitoring and enable enforcement. The publication describes the legal powers, duties and restraints to legislate or regulate alcoholic beverages, provides different options to implement each intervention, and examines legal considerations in the design and implementation of specific interventions that can strengthen a government's legal position.