Guyana has acquired Merck-made 9-valiant Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines at a very low cost  through a deal negotiated by the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony. The HPV virus is responsible for most cervical cancers. The virus can also cause anal, penile, vulvar, vaginal, and some head and neck ...

Schools are meant to be places of learning and growth, where children develop not just academically but also physically and emotionally. They should be environments that nurture healthy habits and protect young minds. Yet across the region, many of our schools inadvertently support and even promote unhealthy diets. Branded sports gear, canteens filled with unhealthy snacks, and sponsored events have turned schools into marketing playgrounds for food products proven to harm health. We are often told by industry, media, and even some policymakers that it’s all about personal responsibility and that we simply need to make better decisions. But what kind of choice are we really giving children when their school environments are flooded with marketing, shaped by brand influence, and filled with products that undermine their health?

This is one of the realities behind the worsening obesity crisis in the Caribbean, an epidemic largely driven by unhealthy diets high in ultra-processed products (UPPs). Approximately one in three children across the region live with overweight or obesity. According to the Pan American Health Organization’s ENLACE Data Portal, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents is projected to reach 42.3% and 19.7% respectively by 2030 in the Region of the Americas. Despite growing public awareness around the impact of childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), meaningful progress remains slow, and no Caribbean country is on track to meet global nutrition targets to reduce and maintain childhood overweight to less than 3%.

Industry Influence: Hidden in Plain Sight
Unhealthy food and beverage options are aggressively marketed, more visible, more accessible, and often cheaper, which makes them easier to choose over healthy options. From posters on school walls to branded tents at sports day events, marketing dictates what children see as ‘normal’ to eat and drink. We do not advertise tobacco or alcohol to children at school, so why do ultra processed products (UPPs) high in sugar, salt and fat get a free pass? These products, just like tobacco and alcohol, are harmful to children’s health. No child should have to navigate a minefield of unhealthy choices at school.

Marketing practices by the unhealthy food and beverage industry are a major commercial determinant of health. This term refers to how corporations influence health through the products they sell and how they sell them. Guerilla marketing is one of the most powerful tools, especially when aimed at children. These companies embed their products into school environments through sponsorships, donations, scholarships, and giveaways that appear helpful and harmless but serve as strategic marketing tools. Research shows exposure to this marketing fosters unhealthy eating habits and increases the risk of obesity and early onset NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes.

When companies profiting from unhealthy products are allowed to influence school activities or sit at policymaking tables that influence governance of school food environments, the integrity of the school environment is at risk. Why should those who market unhealthy UPPs to children have a say in shaping the policies meant to protect their health? Why should those who market unhealthy UPPs to children have a say in shaping the policies meant to protect their health? As we move forward from Caribbean Nutrition Month June 2025, which focused on the theme “Healthy Eating, Active Living, Sustainable Diets for a Healthier Caribbean,” we must recognize that children cannot thrive if their school environments are dominated by commercial interests marketing unhealthy diets.

A Regional Blueprint for Change
To move beyond personal responsibility, we must first recognise how industry shapes our choices and environments. Governments have a duty to protect schools by regulating marketing and ensuring that health comes first. CARICOM policymakers have a critical window of opportunity to act. Protecting children’s health must become a regional priority, not an afterthought. This means adopting a Health in All Policies approach, where we recognize that the decisions we make in sectors such as agriculture, trade, finance and education directly shape the health of our populations. The decisions we make today will echo for generations.

Ending the marketing of ultra-processed products in and around schools is one essential step to creating environments that foster healthy growth, uphold children’s rights, and build resilience against future NCDs at an early age. By putting the health of children above profits, we can lead by example and secure a healthier future for all.

Author Bios:
Dr. Carlene Radix, MD, MPH, is a public health physician, executive leader, and global expert in the Caribbean region with over 20yrs of experience. She has spearheaded and delivered programmes with an emphasis on responsive health systems in disaster prone SIDS (Small Island Developing States). Dr. Radix previously directed the Human and Social Division at the OECS, leading strategy for the 11 member states while securing substantial funding for critical health and social development initiatives. She has a passion for advancing health equity through education, evidence-based programming, and collaborative partnerships. Dr. Radix is currently the Assistant Dean of Community and Global Health at Ross University, leading in the development and implementation of a Community Medicine and Global Health Program in which she continues to educate and mentor health professionals and conduct and share research.

Ms. Dorial Quintyne, MPH, is a public health professional based in Barbados and a member of Healthy Caribbean Youth.

The post Beyond Personal Responsibility: Tackling Industry Influence in Caribbean School Environments appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

HCC OPEN LETTER
TO CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT

IN RESPONSE TO THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE

OF THE 49TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT JULY 6-8, 2025, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

July 23, 2025

The President and the Board of Directors of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) note with disappointment the distinct absence of any mention of non-communicable disease (NCDs) and the upcoming 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4)  which 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.”

In HCCs Open Letter, we recalled the historical legacy of CARICOM leadership, engagement and participation in previous UN HLMs on NCDs, and called on CARICOM Leaders to deliver on five (5) key civil society asks:

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].
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.

Although Dr. Carla Barnett, the Secretary General of CARICOM, highlighted the HLM4 in her opening remarks and urged CARICOM Heads of Government and State to attend, the HLM4 was absent on the meeting’s agenda, raising concerns around the political priority of NCDs at the highest levels of decision-making in CARICOM. In stark contrast, in 2018, in lead up to the 3rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, in the Communique of 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.

The HLM4 comes at a critical time,  18 years after the Declaration of Port of Spain and 5 years away from the 2030 SDGs. If the recent Conference of Heads of Government is any indicator of political will, we are in a troubling state. CARICOM countries are grossly off track when it comes to NCD targets – as evidenced by the WHO NCD Progress Monitor 2025 and the 2024 POS NCD Summit Grid Report.  A recent opinion editorial penned by health civil society organisations across the region, begged the question – What does health in a secure and sustainable future look like? Within the context of aging and contracting populations and increasing economic and climate vulnerabilities, a secure and sustainable future for the Caribbean is unachievable without high-level political action on NCDs.

Just about 2 months shy of the HLM4, there is still time for CARICOM Heads of Government and State to demonstrate leadership and commitment to this global agenda which will have country-level impact. Three of HCCs five Asks are still achievable – HLM4 participation, hosting of an HLM4 side event, and endorsing CSO/youth representation in country HLM4 delegations.

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 

[1] 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; and 12.Strengthen accountability, mechanisms, metrics and related data collection, analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting at all levels.

Download the letter.

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The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday announced a successful collaboration with internationally renowned corneal surgeon, Dr. Lloyd Williams of Duke University, North Carolina, USA. Dr. Williams arrived in Guyana on July 13, 2025, and is performing corneal transplant surgeries while training and tutoring local eye surgeons as part of a three-day mission, the ...

Guardian Life of The Caribbean Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to improving cancer care and financial access for women across the region, with a focus on prevention, early detection, and inclusive insurance solutions. 

The announcement was made by President at Guardian Life of The Caribbean Limited, Samanta Saugh, last Friday at the Caribbean Association for Oncology and Hematology (CAOH) Conference at Hyatt Regency Trinidad, where Guardian Life participated as a sponsor and strategic partner.

“As a subsidiary as part of the largest indigenous financial services group in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, Guardian Life understands the vital role we play in supporting the wellbeing of our communities,” said Saugh. “We are working to ensure that equity in care includes not only medical treatment but also financial protection and peace of mind.”

Over the past five years, Guardian Life has seen a steady increase in cancer-related claims, particularly among women. 

According to the data:

• Cancer accounts for 47 per cent of all critical illness claims across the company’s portfolio.
• Women file 53 per cent of all claims.
• 68 per cent of female critical illness claims are cancer-related, with breast and ovarian cancers most common.

In response, Guardian Life is taking several meaningful steps to better serve its clients:

• Tailored Insurance Products: Developing inclusive policies with coverage specific to gynaecological cancers and more accessible options for lower-income women.
• Support Beyond the Payout: Bundling financial protection with wellness, care navigation, and mental health support throughout the treatment journey.
• Digital Claims Innovation: Streamlining the claims process through user-friendly technology for faster, more transparent service.
• Healthcare Partnerships: For example, launching a breast cancer screening drive in collaboration with Bayview Urgent Care Facility in Barbados, making preventative care more accessible for policyholders.

Guardian Life continues to work closely with healthcare professionals, NGOs, and policymakers to strengthen the regional ecosystem of care. 

“At Guardian Life, we see the people behind the policies,” said Saugh. 

“We’re here to protect futures—and that means listening, innovating, and acting with compassion.”

The post Guardian Life strengthens commitment to women’s cancer care across the Caribbean appeared first on Barbados Today.

Students at Caribbean medical schools face power outages and lower residency odds but gain adaptability in pursuit of their dreams. Medscape Medical News

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has shifted gears into the use of aerospace defence systems to protect the country, President Irfaan Ali announced at the commissioning ceremony for a new Italian-made utility plane. “We have expanded our air assets and capability to include our aerospace investment,” he told the event to officially welcome the Tecnam ...

Data from the latest Global AIDS Update Report, released by UNAIDS, shows the Caribbean recorded a 62% reduction in AIDS-related deaths, between 2010 and 2024, the steepest decline among eight regions globally. According to the report—AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform—over the last fifteen years, there has been a 54% decline in AIDS-related deaths ...

From July 6 to 8, 2025, CARICOM leaders will gather in Jamaica for the 49th CARICOM Heads of Government (HOG) Meeting, under the theme: People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future.

As health-focused civil society organisations across the region, we are compelled to ask – What does a healthy Caribbean look like in CARICOM’s vision of a secure and sustainable future?

• Does it reflect the lived realities of our children, who are growing up in environments flooded with ultra-processed foods and limited access to safe spaces for physical activity?
• Does it account for the voices of our youth, many of whom are navigating mental health challenges with little support and even fewer services?
• Does it prioritise the needs of people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—those who require continuous care but face fragmented systems and financial hardship?
• Does it include persons living with disabilities and our indigenous and rural communities, which have long been underserved and which continue to experience some of the greatest health inequities?

As we prepare for another CARICOM HOG meeting—this time against the backdrop of the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Promotion of Mental Health to be held in September 2025—we are reminded of the CARICOM leaders’ vision of a healthy and secure future set almost 18 years ago.

During the 28th CARICOM HOG Meeting in July 2007, regional leaders committed to “full participation in the Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases, to be held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 14 September 2007.” That September 2007 meeting led to the landmark Declaration of Port of Spain —a turning point in the global NCD movement. It marked the first time a group of countries took collective action at the highest political level to address NCDs, placing the issue on the international agenda and laying the groundwork for the first UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in 2011.

Since then, the world has witnessed two more UNHLMs on NCDs, in 2014 and 2018 during which time civil society has advocated fervently to ensure NCDs remain prioritized. This pressure has been captured by key policy wins including the School Nutrition Policy implemented in Barbados and tabled in Jamaica.

Now, in 2025, we are preparing for the 4th UNHLM 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.”

This moment presents a critical opportunity for CARICOM to once again lead from the front, guided by previous commitments and aligned with the Caribbean Cooperation in Health IV and other key Caribbean SIDS-focused Declarations, including the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health. Informed by consultations with Member States, the Bridgetown Declaration calls for “double- and triple-duty” actions to tackle NCDs. These include stronger linkages between climate and health agendas, building climate-resilient health systems, institutionalising public participation, protecting policy spaces from Industry interference, and implementing clear, effective policies such as front-of-package warning labelling. These key actions are aligned with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s (HCC) Advocacy Priorities for the 4th UNHLM co-developed with HCC member organisations.

The under-addressed issues highlighted in the Declaration and the Advocacy Priorities resource are matters of survival and sustainable, equitable development for Caribbean nations.

Three out of every four Caribbean lives lost are due to preventable and manageable non-communicable diseases. CARICOM leaders must keep the prevention and control of these conditions central to their vision of a secure and sustainable future during discussions at their upcoming meeting.

In the lead up to the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health and in light of the growing burden of NCDs in the region; we ask CARICOM Heads of Government and State to urgently:

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.
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.

History will remember whether CARICOM simply echoed past declarations, or delivered bold, lasting action. CARICOM leaders must ensure that the voices and unique needs of people with, and at risk of, NCDs in Caribbean Small Island Developing States are meaningfully represented and addressed at this High-level Meeting.

CARICOM has been globally recognised for its leadership on NCDs. Now is the time to lead again.

Authors:

Dr. Kenneth Connell
President, Healthy Caribbean Coalition

Ms. Danielle Walwyn
Advocacy Officer, Healthy Caribbean Coalition

Ms. Charity Dublin
President, Antigua and Barbuda Diabetes Association

Ms. Kim Simplis Barrow
President, Belize Cancer Society

Dr. Jane Noël
Chair, Grenada National Chronic non Communicable Disease Commission

Ms. Greta Yearwood
Chief Executive Officer, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados

Mrs. Deborah Chen
Executive Director, Heart Foundation of Jamaica

Shannique Bowden
Executive Director, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network

Ms. Abi Begho
Founder and Director of Program Management, Lake Health and Wellbeing (St. Kitts and Nevis)

Dr. Kedhma Dorh
President, St. Lucia Diabetes and Hypertension Association

Ms. Chelsea Antoine
Healthy Caribbean Youth (Trinidad and Tobago)

The post What Does Health in a Secure and Sustainable Future Look Like? appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

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

Useful Resources

• Safeguarding Public Health Nutrition in the Caribbean During Times of Emergency: Principles for Managing Food, Beverage Finance and In-Kind Donations from the Commercial Sector” can be found via this link: https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Safeguarding-Public-Health-Nutrition-in-the-Caribbean-During-Emergencies-Guidelines-for-Managing-Donations-from-the-Commercial-Sector-HCC-November-2024.pdf
• Visit the Young Caribbean Minds Website: https://www.youngcaribbeanminds.com
• What is implementation science and its role in climate adaptation: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00199-1/fulltext
• A webinar presentation on the role of implementation science and climate and health that highlights some of our participatory research in region: https://youtu.be/9NlAOqX0mtY
• Caribbean Research for Action agenda on climate change and health
  • https://earthmedic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chapter-1_Extreme-weather-events_Research-for-Action-on-Climate-Change-and-Health-in-the-Caribbean_2024.pdf
  • https://earthmedic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chapter-4_Noncommunicable-diseases_Research-for-Action-on-Climate-Change-and-Health-in-the-Caribbean_2024.pdf
• Development of an agenda for research and action on climate change and health in the Caribbean – PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11726121/
• Protecting Caribbean patients diagnosed with cancer from compounding disasters,  Lancet Oncology, May 2024: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(24)00071-8/
• PAHO Virtual Course:  Psychological First Aid (PFA) in disaster management in the Caribbean – Second Edition https://campus.paho.org/en/course/psychological-first-aid-pfa-disaster-management-caribbean-second-edition-2020
• Check out this Caribbean disaster prep video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDn-23xhFQg

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