Image: WHO/PAHO

United Nations: More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled.

An estimated 11 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. That is approximately the weight of 2,200 Eiffel Towers all together. 

Microplastics – tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter – find their way into food, water and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year –and many more if inhalation is considered.

Lake Health and Wellbeing, Blue Conscience, and the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society are delighted to announce the launch of a new awareness campaign: ‘Sip Sustainably: Sea the Change.’ Running from June to August 2025, the campaign is timed to coincide with two important global observances – World Environment Day (June 5) and World Ocean’s Day (June 8) – and aims to draw attention to the shared health and environmental harms caused by sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). 

Many SSBs – including sodas, sugary juices, and energy drinks – are packed with excessive sugar that has been directly linked to weight gain, obesity, and a higher risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and heart disease. But beyond personal health, these beverages come in plastic bottles that pollute our coastline and seas, threatening marine life.

The story of the bottle cap is one that resonates with all of us. As we traverse our beautiful tropical islands, plastic bottles can be found in our environment including at our beaches. While we pride ourselves on being Caribbean people, too often we do not protect the very land and sea that gives us this privilege. While littering may not seem like a “big deal” on the contrary, the environmental impact can be quite large. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the Caribbean is the second most plastic contaminated sea in the world (UNEP, 2019) with plastic bottles being the most common plastics found in our waters (Birds Caribbean, 2019).

Related Media:

CARPHA Calls for Urgent Action To Beat Plastic Pollution To Secure Future Health on World Environment Day 2025 

World Environment Day 2025 – #BeatPlasticPollution 

World Environment Day 2025 - UN Chief Message | United Nations

Monday, June 16, 2025 11AM - 1PM AST/EDT

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC),PAHO and Earth Medic Earth Nurse invites you to our upcoming webinar Putting People & Health First in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery on Monday June 16 from 11AM - 1PM AST/EST.

This webinar will bring together key regional stakeholders, experts, and advocates across multiple sectors to discuss disaster preparedness, climate resilience, and health, highlighting the critical importance of targeted, inclusive planning for vulnerable groups.

The webinar will aim to:

• 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.

On Friday May 30, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization in Collaboration with Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Let’s Unpack It, Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC)/Health Caribbean Youth (HCY), and the Ministry of Health and Wellness Barbados, hosted a hybrid-symposium entitled "Bridging the Gap: Advancing Mental Health through Transformation, Inclusion and Action."

The Forum provided an important space for meaningful youth engagement, where:

• Youth and key stakeholders came together to critically discuss young people’s concerns about the current state of mental health and available support in the region, as well as the actions they want to see related to mental health policy and regulation, education and awareness, and mental health services.
• Youth with lived experience were given a safe space to share their personal journeys and how they’ve used their voices to raise awareness and advocate for mental health support and systems change.
• Young Caribbean Minds Volume 2 was officially launched. This new volume explores the connections between climate change, natural disasters, and mental health. Designed to inform, inspire, and empower, the resource is a must-read for young people across the region. Access the resource.

HCY Member Stephanie Whiteman, Simone Bishop-Matthews, Rebecca Cox, Danielle Walwyn, Dorial Quintyne, Jovanna Barrow and Romario Griffith attended the event in person and/or virtually. HCC Communications Officer Sheena Warner Edwards also attended, while Youth Technical Advisor Pierre Kevin Cooke Jr provided testimony. 

Healthy Caribbean Youth member Stephanie Whiteman shared her reflections here.

Photos attached to email. Healthy Caribbean Youth member Stephanie Whiteman shared her reflections:

Ms. Joycelyn Alleyne (right) and Dr. Kia Lewis (left) Project Leads with HCC Communications Officer and Steering Committee Member Sheena Warner-Edwards

FutureHEALTH officially launched on Tuesday June 3, 2025, at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management. This groundbreaking initiative, co-funded by IDB Lab and FutureBARBADOS is designed to create a dynamic, technology-enabled, citizen-centric healthcare ecosystem. It invites healthcare professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs to create a dynamic, technology-enabled, citizencentric healthcare ecosystem that invites healthcare professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and the wider Barbadian public to reimagine and reshape the future of healthcare in Barbados and beyond.

Read the full press release here.

Read the FutureHEALTH overview here.

See the event flyer here.

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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!

PAHO: June 13th, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. (EDT - Washington, DC time) for the launch of the English version of the virtual course "Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases" introductory course. This course presents the initiative's key principles and provides practical tools for identifying priorities and opportunities for improvement in PHC services. It is part of the Organization's efforts to strengthen the ongoing training of primary health care teams, contributing to improved response in the comprehensive management of NCDs.