The Healthy Caribbean Coalition is pleased to launch a joint report entitled: Landscape Analysis of the Regulation of Trans Fatty Acids in Selected CARICOM Countries. The report was developed in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission, the Law and Health Research Unit at the University of the West Indies, the Caribbean Public Health Law Forum, the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University in Washington D.C, with the support of CARICOM government ministries and civil society organisations, and with funding from Resolve to Save Lives. 

In 2022, CARICOM Governments committed to removing industrially-produced trans-fatty acids or iTFAs from the regional food supply by December 2025. Presently, no CARICOM country has national legislation or regulation eliminating partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from the food supply, and/or limiting iTFA content to no more than 2% of total fat in all food products. This report, developed to support CARICOM Member States in advancing national iTFA legislation, analyses and summarises the situation regarding the iTFA policy responses and entry points for legislation across selected Caribbean countries. The report makes recommendations to CARICOM governments—and their key partners and stakeholders—for priority regulatory actions to eliminate PHOs and limit iTFA content in the food supply, thereby contributing to achieving the December 2025 deadline in keeping with WHO guidelines and contributing to the prevention and control of NCDs in the Caribbean.

As we look towards the 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs in September 2025 (HLM4), uniting around the theme - TIME TO LEAD, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) is showcasing individuals and organisations who have shown exemplary leadership in NCD prevention and control in the Caribbean. This week we are spotlighting 3 Caribbean NCD Leaders including advocates, clinicians and researchers working across diverse areas including cancer, alcohol, youth engagement following: 

Is there an individual or organisation you would like to highlight in the HCC HLM4 Time to Lead - Caribbean NCD Leadership Spotlight? 

Use this google form (below) to nominate the names of Individuals (representing civil society, academia and the public sector) or Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). Nominees must have consented to their names being submitted.

On Tuesday, October 15th 2024, The National NCD Commission Barbados and Ministry of Health and Wellness presented Sir Trevor Hassell with a token of appreciation in recognition of his outstanding work in the effort to fight non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Barbados, the Caribbean and rest of the world. Sir Trevor Hassell was the Chairman of the Barbados National Commission for Chronic Non Communicable Diseases (renamed NCD Commission Barbados (2010)) from its inception (January 2007 to May 2022). 

In a glowing tribute by the Minister of Health, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, he spoke from his days during medical school where Sir Trevor in his cardiology clinics, was a very good tutor, and praised him for dedicating his life and work to health especially cardiovascular health. He noted that Sir Trevor Hassell was a little reluctant at first to assume the role of Chairman of the then Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Commission of Barbados and noted that he would give a maximum of 3 to 5 years to the position; but remained for over a decade in the position. He noted that over the years the NCD Commission has done commendable work and continued to do good work following the lead set out by Sir Trevor Hassell. 

Sir Trevor Hassell was presented with a wooden carving of the NCD Commission's logo. This logo was developed under his Chairmanship and represents the many facets which are both key in NCD development and also NCD prevention and control, including the genetic lineage, movement (physical activity/inactivity) and agriculture (food security) and water. 

Sir Trevor thanked Minister Walcott for placing NCDs as a priority in the Ministry of Health and Wellness and mandating the NCD Commission as a multi-sector platform which places NCDs on the national platform. 

Media Coverage 

Nation Newspaper Barbados: Championing the Fight Against NCDs: Celebrating the Contributions of Sir Trevor Hassell

Nation Newspaper Barbados: Sir Trevor Lauded for Battle Agains NCDs

Barbados Today:  Major changes aimed at reducing NCDs to be rolled out

Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation: New programme to reduce deaths from NCDs

CBC News Barbados | Facebook: Sir Trevor Hassell has been recognised for his contribution to the fight against NCDs

PAHO: The The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with PAHO/WHO, assessed the HEARTS Initiative in Guyana. Dr Anselm Hennis, Director of Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, PAHO/WHO and additional expert, visited Guyana from 21 to 25 October 2024. 

The team lead a mission that, together with MoH, is currently assessing the implementation and the potential for scale-up of the HEARTS Initiative. The team visited 10 health posts and health Centers in three coastal administrative regions of the country. The team also visited the Materials Management Unit, the MoH unit in charge of the logistics, storage, and distribution of medicines at more than 360 health facilities comprising Guyana's first level of care. Interviews were conducted with the Chief Medical Officer, the Director of Chronic Diseases and Mental Health at MoH, and other relevant officers at the central and regional levels.

Have you ever thought of the management of climate change of being a security issue? Have you ever thought that the foods which were afforded to our ancestors, exposed and continue to expose us to the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)? The stakeholder engagement spearheaded by the Office of Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement, Division of Culture, Prime Minister’s Office, Barbados, in partnership with the National NCD Commission Barbados was centred around the research presented by Ms. Ria Harrison and Ms. Kali Grant entitled “Historical Linkages Between Slavery, Colonialism and Threats to Environmental Security Within Barbados, and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and the Need for Climate Action Reparations to Address Negative Impact”. Sir Trevor Hassell, Founding President and Director of the HCC and Mrs. Sheena Warner-Edwards, Communications Officer of the HCC, were in attendance.

The stakeholder engagement session was Chaired by Mr. Rodney Grant, Programme Advisor. He noted in his opening statements that recognising the impacts of climate change across sectors allowed for a number of health-related deductions, including agricultural outcomes, to be made from the research. The clear linkage between health, specifically non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate and slavery were highlighted. It was noted that understanding and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), was underpinned by the understanding of where we came from. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. The Honourable Shantal Monroe-Knight, noted that our small economy does not allow for us to build climate resilience including the encouragement of food security practices, and support the rebuilding of our health systems. In her question to the audience – Who pays? It was identified that funding is required to assist in many aspects of re-development for Barbados. 

Chair of the National NCD Commission, Barbados Mr. Suleiman Bulbulia in his remarks highlighted the importance of addressing the historical and environmental roots of NCDs within the broader context of reparations. He showed how the exponential burden of NCDs was linked to enslavement and colonial exploitations which we currently see manifest in unhealthy diet and lifestyles. Mr. Bulbulia quoted our President and Deputy Chairman of the NCD Commission Barbados, Dr. Kenneth Connell in his remarks – “A great deal of our lifestyle habits today are grounded in what we sometimes call culture”, noting that the cultural practices we were forced to development in the times of slavery, were really not our real customs, those we practiced on the mother-land, but what we needed to do to survive. 

Once the floor was open for feedback, a number of linkages were identified. NCD prevention strategies including educating our youth around good diet and adequate nutrition while upgrading perceived cultural norms was pin-pointed. Also highlighted was the inability for farmers to access machinery and tools to allow for increased crop production and the importance for our people to recognise those foods which offered higher nutritional value to allow our bodies to build resilience against NCD development. It was noted that reparations could help with advancing these objectives. 

The research answers the “So what do we do about it?” when making a case for financial investment in public health especially for NCD prevention programmes. The meeting sought to gain insight into how reparations could help repair the damage linked to slavery. The foods which our ancestors were exposed to, which were high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar stemming from the unwanted meal prep remains of the slave owners coupled with the trauma of slavery have been identified or linked through the research to the development of NCDs present-day. Soil-depletion and soil erosion were also highlighted as remnants of 400 years of sugar crop production which has not been linked to food insecurity issues as it has been estimated that replenishment of the soils will take millions of dollars which our small economy cannot produce. This in turn has impacted our climate, which also doubly affects weather patterns resulting in severe drought conditions in our country.

Immediate outcomes of the meeting;

• We needed to elevate cultural goods in the foods we ate prior to slavery in our communication – ground provisions, vegetables etc.
• A working group coming out of the stakeholders group should be prioritized
• A closer look at our food imports was needed. Headways were being made to achieve the 25 by 25 target and the ban on trans fats for Barbados would contribute positively to this effect
• A meeting report will be generated and shared with all participants

November 5 at 10.30 AM AST

HCC/CBU: As the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) partners once again with the CBU for the Caribbean Media Awards, television, radio, print and digital content producers are invited to an online sensitization session on November 5 at 10.30 AM AST. 

The focus will be on Healthy Nutrition Food Policy, the theme of the Awards categories sponsored by HCC in 2023 and 2024. HCC will be fielding experts to provide in depth information on the topic, even as regional media houses consider their possible entries for the next round of the Awards competition. 

This is the second year of this innovative civil society, media and private sector partnership, which has served not only to recognize excellence in public health journalism in the area of nutrition but has been instrumental in catalyzing and expanding media interest and work in this area.

The Gleaner: I recently read with interest and was moved by the personal story of Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne in which he shared his family’s experience with mental illness. 

The article was as timely as it was an urgent reminder of the imperative to work collaboratively and sustainably on solving the challenges of stigma, neglect, and social exclusion that too often embody the experiences of persons living with mental illness in Jamaica, but also across the Caribbean.

The November 22nd, 2013 regional meeting ‘Strengthening Health Systems, Supporting NCD Action Meeting 2013 – Advocating for Policies and Action’ held in Trinidad, was a great success with over 60 delegates from 14 Caribbean countries, representing a wide cross section of disciplines including health NGOs, government, private sector, trade unions, women’s groups, the media, international organisations, service clubs, faith based organisations and medical associations.