Countdown to the UNHLM

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Webinar: Caribbean Regional Stakeholder Meeting on the 4th UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health

On Wednesday 30 July 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation, convened a virtual Caribbean Regional Stakeholder Meeting in support of the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) including Mental Health. This timely discussion also marked the 18th anniversary of the landmark 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs.

Panellist Quotes

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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 22, 2025

Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM,

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)  in the Communique of the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).  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.”

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.

Read the full letter

The 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs (HLM4) will take place 25 September 2025 in New York at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Heads of States and Government will set a new vision to prevent and control NCDs towards 2030 and 2050 through a political declaration to be decided in the UN General Assembly. The Fourth High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (HLM4) provides a unique opportunity to adopt a new, ambitious and achievable political declaration on NCDs towards 2050.

Open Letter to CARICOM Heads of Government

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.

Read the full letter
5 Key Asks of CARICOM Heads of Government and State

HCC-led Advocacy Priorities for HLM4

The HCC-led Caribbean Advocacy Priorities were developed with emphasis on the importance of identifying a set of regional priorities around which CARICOM missions and negotiators can promote at the HLM4; civil society and key advocacy partners can mobilise; and governments and key implementing partners can embrace – as all stakeholders work to accelerate progress to agreed priority NCD prevention and control objectives in CARICOM Member States. They take into consideration the WHO Best Buys and Other Recommended Interventions and CARICOM regional platforms and mandates, reflect and support the global NCDA advocacy priorities, and are further informed by key factors and realities within the Caribbean context.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition, in collaboration with the NCD Alliance (NCDA), key stakeholders, and partners, has led a process to develop advocacy priorities to inform Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States’ advocacy at, and contribution to, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Fourth High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (HLM4), scheduled for 25 September 2025 with the overall theme “Equity and Integration: Transforming lives and livelihoods through leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and mental health”.

Read/download the full document

HCC-led Caribbean Advocacy Priorities summary View/download.

To see more detail on the Advocacy Priorities read/download the Priorities only document.

HLM4 Advocacy Priority Social Media Cards

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Preparing CARICOM Ministries of Foreign Affairs for HLM4
Preparing CARICOM Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the Fourth United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM4) September 2025 and Beyond-  a Briefing Note From Civil Society.

The objective of the briefing note is to support the engagement of CARICOM Member States in the negotiations around the Political Declaration of HLM4. The briefing note presents the HCC-led Caribbean civil society advocacy priorities for HLM4; provides the rationale and evidence behind the advocacy priorities to support the negotiation process and contribute to effective Caribbean participation in the meeting; and sets the stage for continued advocacy for priority evidence-based NCD reduction strategies beyond HLM4.

Read/download the Briefing Note.

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Caribbean NCD Leaders Spotlight

HCC spotlight on Caribbean NCD leaders leading up to the 4th UN High Level Meeting on NCDs (HLM4) held during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.

See our Caribbean NCD Leaders

HLM4 Key Milestones

Source: NCD Alliance with Caribbean-related insertions by HCC
UN Interactive Multistakeholder Hearing

Stephanie Whiteman

Maisha Hutton

Maria O’Brien

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) recently attended the UN Interactive Multistakeholder Hearing (MSH) as part of the preparatory process for the Fourth high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being (HLM4) to be held on 25 September 2025 at the 80th UNGA. The purpose of the MSH is to gather broad stakeholder feedback on NCD and mental health priorities to inform the development of the zero draft of the Political Declaration.

Find out more

Read the official UN summary of the hearing here, this reflects the perspectives from Member States, civil society, youth, people living with NCDs, and other stakeholders.

The post The 4th UN High-level Meeting on NCDs appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has been welcomed into the family of the region’s media fraternity and got the esteemed opportunity to fulfil one of our commitments which we have strived to achieve over the last five (5) years; to host the media’s best for an in-person sensitization on the health landscape of the Caribbean, in partnership with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU). The HCC welcomed over 130 delegates of the CBUs 56th Annual General Assembly (AGA) and 36th Caribbean Media Awards (CMA) to its home-country Barbados, along with one of its civil society organization members, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados at the Hilton Resort, Barbados. The delegates included Media Managers, Executive Directors, News Editors, Multi-Media Journalists, Media Moguls, Media stalwarts, Anchors and Communication Specialists.

Mrs. Sheena Warner-Edwards

The HCCs Communication Officer Mrs. Sheena Warner-Edwards delivered Remarks from the HCC, followed by the Welcoming Remarks from the CBUs President Mr. Anthony Greene.

The floor opened to a showcase from the youth advocates of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados and the Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) marrying public health, health policy and the orange economy. Through the arts, the youth delivered the message – Why Healthy Nutrition Food Policies Mattered! Following, HCCs Policy Advisor and Head of the Law and Research Unit, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Mrs. Nicole Foster, delivered a riveting presentation which explained the role of Commercial Determinants of Health on policy erosion, implementation and progress in the Caribbean region. A poetic experience unfolded thereafter with the experiences of our 2023 Caribbean Media Awards (2024 Awards Showing) Healthy Nutrition Food Policy Award – Print and Television winners, taking us through the curation of their work and publishing and broadcasting of the final product.

Another highlight of the evening was the video presentation of our industry interference and Conflicts of Interest (COI) communication campaign materials which was introduced by HCCs Communication Consultant Ms. Tamie Marie.

Team HCC showcased and showed-out. A clearer understanding of the work HCC and its partners and member organisations have been doing across the Caribbean, to reduce childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was buttressed. The evening culminated with visits to the booths of media partners and sponsors of the CBU. The HSFB/HCC booth also commanded attention.

Several opportunities arose out of discussions with journalists present and further interviews were scheduled for print, digital, radio and television. The attendees were treated to healthy hors d’ oeuvres and fruit-infused water, at the end of Day 1 of the CBU AGA.

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Sheena Warner-Edwards opening remarks.

Creativity Meets Opportunity

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) is pleased to once again support the creativity of the media, through the sponsorship of the themed categories in Print and Television through our Healthy Nutrition Food Policy Awards, and to support the travel and accommodation of one of the delegates, an avid journalist; a creator, Ms. Sashana Small, of the RJR Gleaner Communications, to attend this year’s CBU Annual General Assembly and Caribbean Media Awards.

Joining with the CBU on this Partner’s Showcase, strengthens our ability to demonstrate the importance of the whole-of-society approach to tackling NCDs, which is also reflective in this year’s theme Caribbean Media and the Orange Economy.

Our communication and advocacy are strengthened through working with the media as you are able to take what would be considered heavy content and break it up into more digestible, culturally sensitive material for various target audiences.

Whether it is sounding calls for prostate cancer screening, as we try tirelessly to reach our men in society, to bringing the issues to the attention of the population through Editorials, Advertorials, Op-Eds, and Press Releases, you have worked with the HCC and our partners over the years and we thank you.
Every year the number of entries for the Caribbean Media Awards continues to grow; noting the 551 submissions, across 61 categories from 30 media organisations representing 11 countries and territories; a

13% increase from last year’s record-breaking year, which is testament to the worth of the CBU as a leader in our region. We at the HCC are pleased to be a part of the record-breaking years, and to bring a stronger health-focus to the agenda as NCDs remain a major priority on our agenda and has been touted at the highest level and by our Patron Sir George Alleyne, to “represent an existential threat to the economic survival and human capital of the Caribbean countries”.
This year is yet another significant year as on the 25th September 2025, Heads of Government will meet at the UN General Assembly to set a new vision for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing towards 2030 and beyond.

As I speak, the HCC is promoting our UNHLM campaign and has launched the second phase of our For The Children campaign, the latter of which you will hear more about and see shortly. Our civil society member organisations in Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Jamaica rely heavily on the media to get the messages, press releases, activities and campaigns out to the public, as they support governments in providing care and treatment, while raising health literacy, for and about NCDs. Through media advocacy, we in the Caribbean can secure financing through political commitment for national NCD programmes to ensure that NCD prevention policies are in place, NCD services in primary care are

established at high standards and NCD surveillance mechanisms are put in place and are ongoing.

After the commitments are made, we need to drive action. That’s where you the media again come in; to draw attention to the inadequacies of declarations, outcome documents, policy and programme recommendations and what’s interfering with the implementation of evidence-based policies and programmes. Caribbean countries have been accused of implementation inertia.
The Caribbean has had a chance to be again, a leader in the NCD space. Civil society organisations echoed their voices for the implementation of the octagonal warning label as the front of package warning label which best suited the people in our region, based on scientific evidence in 2021 and again in 2023; this was played down

and thrown out. Now in 2025 we are seeing many changes in the US market with respect to the food which is produced there and shipped here. The media has captured this and amplified it.
The media is therefore powerful in its ability to empower people so they become stewards of the environment. The HCC values this partnership with the CBU and its stakeholders, and look forward to ongoing work and engagement. You can guarantee that once the media covers any area of health, the HCC will capture, share and repost it.

The post HCC and CBU Partners Showcase – Healthy Nutrition Food Policies appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

Virtual Veranduh Chat – Prioritizing Breastfeeding: Policy to Practice

On Thursday 7 August 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and Healthy Caribbean Youth in partnership with the Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation hosted a Virtual Veranduh Chat, the subject for discussion was Prioritizing Breastfeeding: Policy to Practice.

The panellists and participants discussed the following:

• Promoting breastfeeding and breast milk as primary nutrition for newborns.
• The impact of digital marketing on breastfeeding and child development.
• Breastfeeding best practices across the region and solutions to potential implementation barriers.

Panellists

The post Virtual Veranduh Chat – Prioritizing Breastfeeding: Policy to Practice appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

On Wednesday 30 July 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation, convened a virtual Caribbean Regional Stakeholder Meeting in support of the 4th UN High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) including Mental Health. This timely discussion also marked the 18th anniversary of the landmark 2007 Port of Spain Declaration on NCDs.

With over 200 participants from civil society, government, regional institutions, and global partners, the webinar fostered rich dialogue around the Caribbean’s progress in tackling NCDs, and the urgent need for renewed leadership and bold action to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The webinar covered the following objectives:

• Reflect on progress on NCDs in the Caribbean since the 2007 Port of Spain Declaration, including key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Explored NCD priorities and strategies needed within CARICOM to accelerate meaningful action on NCDs – actions which prevent new NCDs and improve the lives of people living with NCDs in lead up to and beyond the HLM4.

Presenters and Panellists

Panellist Quotes

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Visit our HLM4 dedicated webpage.

The post 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

The post Copy 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 22, 2025

Dear Honourable Heads of Government and State of CARICOM,

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)  in the Communique of the Forty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).  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.”

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.

The post Open Letter to CARICOM Heads of Government appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

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

The post appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

HCC OPEN LETTER
TO CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
AT THE 49TH REGULAR MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT JULY 6-8, 2025, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

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 

Download the letter.

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Webinar: Act on Facts: Lets do it Better for the Children

On Wednesday 28th may 2025, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) hosted a regional webinar entitled: Act on Facts: Lets do it Better for the Children.

This webinar discussed the experiences and lessons learned around the implementation of healthy school nutrition policies in the Caribbean and public health experts, policymakers, educators, and civil society advocates shared their experiences, challenges, and best practices in safeguarding children’s health from commercial influences.

Presenters and Panellists

Visit the Lets do it better for the children campaign page.

 

The post Webinar: Act on Facts: Lets do it Better for the Children appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.