WHAT DOES A FOOD POLICY HAVE TO DO TO EARN THE TITLE ‘HEALTHY’ AROUND HERE?

Take a dive into some answers to that question!

WHY IS ‘PEOPLE OVER PROFIT’ A STATEMENT WE NEED TO GET BEHIND?

It seems obvious, right? We should always prioritise people over profit!

But in practice, our policymaking doesn’t seem to always live up to that principle, and that lapse is harming us all. Although it’s easy to spout that, “eating healthy is an individual’s responsibility”, how easy is it to make healthy choices in environments designed to push the unhealthy ones?

Healthy Food Policy makes a difference to our food environments; so just how crucial is it to the health of Caribbean people?

HOW CAN YOU MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?

EVERYONE!

Share these campaign materials with your network so they understand these issues better.

GOVERNMENTS AND POLICYMAKERS!

You have a vital role to play.

• Establish clear guidelines— with transparent rules for public-private engagement and partnerships— to manage conflicts of interest and foster transparency.
• Invest in the implementation and enforcement of policies that are informed by sound, scientific evidence that is free from industry influence and any conflict of interest. Policies like
  • Mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels (FOPWL);
  • School environment regulations like regulating the sale and marketing of ultra-processed foods in and around schools;
  • Marketing restrictions, especially to children and adolescents; and
  • Fiscal policies such as a sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) tax

These policies have been endorsed by CARICOM Heads of Government and recommended by WHO/PAHO, CARPHA, UNICEF, HCC, Ministries of Health and other key stakeholders. They’ve also been successfully implemented in several countries trying to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

FOOD INDUSTRY HEADS!

Respect the independence of policymaking processes.

• Focus your efforts on ensuring more products follow national nutrition guidelines (or the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model);
• Quit marketing unhealthy food and drink products to children; and
• Adopt front-of-package warning labels that are backed by sound, international and regional scientific evidence.

CAMPAIGN AT A GLANCE

Launch Date: Monday | 1.MAY.2023

Locale: Regional/Caribbean

Type: Digital Media Campaign

Purpose:

• To advocate, and build support for healthy, evidence-informed food policies.
• To bring awareness to the potential of policy to improve lives through healthier food environments and a reduction in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• To highlight the impediments of industry interference and conflict of interest to policy development.

OUR PARTNERS

OTHER CAMPAIGNS

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On Thursday 27th April, 2023 almost 200 people took part in our webinar: Looking Back to Move Forward – Caribbean Youth Mental Health, reflecting on the ongoing progress and effects that the CYMHCTA has inspired in our Caribbean context and even internationally.

The objectives of the ‘Looking Back to Move Forward – Caribbean Youth Mental Health’ webinar were to:

1. To review the MHCTA objectives and their fulfillment
2. To highlight the primary and secondary effects of the MHCTA campaign
3. To highlight current and future regional efforts to better support youth mental health

Moderators

Neorgia Grant
HCY Member

Stephanie Whiteman
HCY Member and Project Lead MHCTA

Panelists

Gabrielle Edwards
HCY Member and MHCTA Lead in The Bahamas

Sahar Vasquez
HCY Member and MHCTA Lead in Belize

David Johnson
MHCTA Subcommittee Member and President and Founder, LUI OR

Simone Bishop-Matthews
HCY Member and MHCTA Lead in Trinidad and Tobago

Shannique Bowden
MHCTA Lead in Jamaica and Executive Director, JYAN

Dr. Karen Sealey
Chair TTNCDA, HCC Board Director and CSO Support to MHCTA team in Trinidad and Tobago

Ms. Jhanille Brooks
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Consultant, UNICEF Jamaica

Maria Boyce-Taylor
Associate Director Client and Employee Engagement CIBC First Caribbean

Laura Lewis-Watts
Project Lead NCD Child Secretariat, NCD Child

Dr. Claudina Cayetano
Mental Health Regional Advisor, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, PAHO

Dr. Brian MacLachlan
Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychiatric Hospital, Barbados

Find out more about the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action

Background

Mental health has been recognised as an integral element of overall health and as a basic and fundamental right,[1] however its limited prioritization and promotion in national health agendas or policies through the necessary financial and human resources, sends a contradictory message. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to expose the inequities – tolerated by our societies until now, not only in terms of our health but the socioeconomic areas linked to it.[2] Amidst the onset of this global pandemic, the mental health and well-being of groups such as health and frontline workers, women, young people, people living with pre-existing mental health conditions, racial and ethnic minorities, and people living in conditions of vulnerability, were particularly impacted.[2]

In light of this, youth from the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC)’s youth arm – Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) and across the Caribbean region, embarked on a journey to advocate for and encourage more dialogue and action by our regional policymakers and the public, around the mental health and well-being of our children and youth.

On October 10th 2022, World Mental Health Day, the HCY, with support from youth advocates and civil society organizations across the region, launched the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action (CYMHCTA). It emphasized a renewed focus on youth mental health and wellbeing, by tailoring and transforming mental health systems in the Caribbean. Sparked by the concerns and experiences shared from youth and other key voices during two webinars held by the HCC, the CYMHCTA was conceptualised. To ensure adequate regional representation, stakeholders were consulted across ten (10) countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. This document could not be possible without the valuable input and feedback from over 50 consultations held with various stakeholders, including youth advocates, youth organisations, national civil society organisations, private sector, secondary school students, primary and secondary school teachers and underrepresented groups such as persons living with non-communicable diseases (PLWNCDs), and representatives from Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Under the slogan of “There’s no health without mental health”, the CYMHCTA took the region by storm. It garnered regional support from government officials, youth organizations, UNICEF Jamaica and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), as well as international organisations such as the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO). Youth from countries such as Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago, spearheaded the movement in their respective countries and continue to advocate for the prioritization of the four (4) key calls highlighted in the CYMHCTA:

• Leadership-to prioritize integration of mental health into existing health policies and emergency plans and ensure youth are meaningfully engaged.
• Research-to inform mental health programming and policies.
• Regulations-to protect children and youth from health-harming products, harassment, stigma and discrimination.
• Services-to support the mental health and well-being of children and youth.

Since its launch, the CYMHCTA has amplified the voices of youth in the development of youth-focused mental health policies and plans. HCY members and other youth advocates, with support from in-country civil society organisations, continue to bolster, and foster, relationships with key policymakers. Consequently, being invited to high-level meetings with various national ministry representatives and other key stakeholders and; in the planning and development of youth-centered mental health programs and policies in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

Register for the Looking Back to Move Forward – Caribbean Youth Mental Health webinar.

[1] “Policy for Improving Mental Health – PAHO/WHO.” 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.paho.org/en/documents/policy-improving-mental-health.

[2] “The forgotten victims of the pandemic: children and adolescents.” 13 Dec. 2021, https://www.cepal.org/en/insights/forgotten-victims-pandemic-children-and-adolescents.

The post Looking back to move forward – Caribbean Youth Mental Health appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

THE HONOURABLE KAY MCCONNEY
MINISTER OF EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING, BARBADOS

And
SENATOR DR. THE MOST HONOURABLE JEROME WALCOTT
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS BARBADOS

And
DR. THE HONOURABLE SONIA BROWNE
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS BARBADOS

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
BARBADOS NATIONAL SCHOOL NUTRITION POLICY

March 20th, 2023

Dear The Honourable Kay McConney, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, and Dr. The Honourable Sonia Browne,

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) extends congratulations to the Government of Barbados and the Ministries of Health and Education on the successful launch of the Barbados National School Nutrition Policy in February 2023 and the banning of the sale of beverages containing added sugars, artificial sweeteners or additives in schools beginning in the third term in April 2023. This significant policy action taken by the Government of Barbados delivers on national and regional commitments to tackle childhood overweight and obesity through a package of evidence-based policy measures including banning the sale and marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages in and around school settings. The Barbados National School Nutrition Policy, originally approved by Cabinet in May 2022, realises a commitment made by Honourable Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, at the 39th Summit of CARICOM Heads of Government and State in 2018 when Heads endorsed a number of priorities for the 3rd UN High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) including: “implementing policies geared to preventing childhood obesity, including health-promoting school environments”.

The HCC, both local and regional members, strongly support this policy measure which complements the recently increased sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) tax at 20% – as part of a wider strategy to combat the urgent health, economic and economic challenges posed by childhood and adult obesity and NCDs in Barbados.

As one of a growing number of countries regionally and globally prioritising NCD prevention through the implementation of regulations which meaningfully change food environments by reducing affordability and availability of ultra-processed foods high in sugars, salts and fats, Barbados is demonstrating tremendous leadership. The Caribbean has the highest NCD mortality rate in the Americas and 40% of these deaths occur prematurely before the age of 70 years affecting our most productive with dire socioeconomic consequences in a time when Caribbean populations are aging and placing significant strain on already vulnerable economies. Obesity is a major underlying factor which contributes to the development of NCDs, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Two-thirds of Barbadians are either living with overweight or obesity and the corresponding figure for Barbadian children is one-third[i] placing these children on a trajectory for health complications in childhood and adolescence and increased risk of NCDs in adulthood.

Unfortunately, these figures show no sign of decline. Per the 2023 edition of the World Obesity Atlas[ii], Barbados is expected to see a 2.6% annual increase in adult obesity and a 4.7% increase in childhood obesity over the period 2020-2035. Overweight and obesity have a profound economic impact through loss of productivity, premature death and health care expenditure. By 2035, this is expected to cost Barbados US $305 million. It is imperative that bold policy action is taken immediately to reverse these alarming trends.

The 20% tax on SSBs and the National School Nutrition Policy are a step in the right direction. At least 73.3% of students aged 13-15 consume at least one carbonated soft drink per day, while 70.9% are not achieving WHO recommended levels of physical activity[iii]. As unhealthy diet and physical activity are major contributors to overweight and obesity, and related NCDs, we commend the National School Nutrition Policy for addressing both of these risk factors. Barbadians – adults and children – have a right to live, grow, work and thrive in environments which support healthy behaviours rather than encouraging unhealthy habits. Since 2016, Barbados has supported three key policy actions recommended by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO and the HCC – 1. Taxation of unhealthy foods while subsidising healthy options; 2. Improving the food (regulating the sale and marketing of ultra-processed foods) and physical activity environments in schools to specifically tackle childhood obesity; and 3. Maintaining support for a regional standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods which includes front of package ‘high-in’ warning labels to empower consumers to identify unhealthy foods and purchase healthier unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Such policy measures, when implemented effectively, create strong regulatory environments which support positive dietary behaviours, help drive product reformulation, and encourage manufacturers and retailers to increase the availability of affordable, healthier food and beverage options. Additionally, Barbados is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), thereby underscoring the important role of government to ensure that those most vulnerable in the population – our children – are protected from continuous exposure to harmful environments that promote consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Finally, HCC commends Barbados’ continued commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society NCD response. The National School Nutrition Policy is a product of the partnership between two Ministries with acknowledged ongoing strong support from civil society through the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados and the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition.

We applaud the bold and visionary leadership of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Health, Education and local civil society organisations and we pledge our continued support as Barbados implements its National School Nutrition Policy and related policies over the coming months and years.

The Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of the HCC, Technical Advisors and the 100+ HCC CSO Members

View/download the open letter here.

[i] https://data.worldobesity.org/country/barbados-17/report-card.pdf

[ii] https://www.worldobesityday.org/assets/downloads/World_Obesity_Atlas_2023_Report.pdf

[iii] https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd-surveillance/data-reporting/barbados/gshs/2011_barbados_gshs_fs.pdf?sfvrsn=652e38c1_5&download=true

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WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH?

Half of all mental health disorders can be diagnosed by just age 14.

16 million adolescents aged 10-19 live with a mental disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Anxiety Disorder is the second leading cause of disability among 10-14-year-olds.

READ THE CALL TO ACTION

COUNTRY ACTIVITIES

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READ THE PLEDGE

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The post appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH?

• Half of all mental health disorders can be diagnosed by just age 14.
• 16 million adolescents aged 10-19 live with a mental disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Anxiety Disorder is the second leading cause of disability among 10-14-year-olds.

Half of all mental health disorders can be diagnosed by just age 14.
16 million adolescents aged 10-19 live with a mental disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Anxiety Disorder is the second leading cause of disability among 10-14-year-olds.

 

 

On World Mental Health Day 2022, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC)’s youth arm – Healthy Caribbean Youth – with support from regional youth organisations and allies, have developed the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action, under the slogan, “There is no health without mental Health”, to mobilise regional policymakers into prioritising the mental health and well-being of this key demographic. The Call to Action represents a culmination of months of collaborative effort among regional youth and youth organisations.

This effort aligns with this year’s call from the World Health Organization  to “make health and well-being for all a global priority”, by demanding urgent action from policymakers across the Caribbean to transform the region’s mental health systems and ultimately protect the mental health wellbeing of children and youth.

Read the Call to Action

You can take part too!

Join us in our commitment to prioritise, destigmatize and normalise mental health among our Caribbean children and young people.

By signing onto our Caribbean Youth Mental Health Pledge, you are vowing to work towards emphasising the Call to Action, advocating for the actions to be implemented by your policy makers and strive towards improving the mental health of our Caribbean Youth. In addition, by signing this pledge, you are affirming your personal vested interest in the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action and you are declaring that the positions, views and agreements are your own volition.

Please read the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action and Caribbean Youth Mental Health Pledge before signing the form below.

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Regional Partners’ Quotes for the Caribbean Youth MHCTA

The future of children and adolescents in Jamaica is at stake as the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the impact of multiple pre-existing stressors, such as violence and their mental health. Left unaddressed, this can have a lifelong and debilitating effect on each child and young person. The wider collective result will retard the development of the entire country. We must act now to ensure that a well-resourced, whole-of-government plan for improving the mental well-being of our young is implemented. Improving access to quality mental health services will not only improve the lives of children and adolescents, it will also yield a positive return on public investment and by extension grow our human capital and the economy.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica

Quotes From Youth Organizations Consulted for the Caribbean Youth MHCTA

Mental health, just like physical health, is a fundamental right of every human being. We can ill afford to deny young people their right to a healthy life, and continue in our current vein, an attitude and approach to mental health rooted in silence, apathy, avoidance, complacency and stigma. Not when 1 in 7 young people in the 10-19 age group are experiencing a mental illness. Not when mental disorders remain a leading cause of illness and disability in young people. And, not when suicide is the 4th leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-24. We have to do something! We have to intervene! We have to do right by our youth. And, that means calling for and taking decisive action to prevent, detect, manage and reduce the risk factors for the mental health challenges facing Caribbean youth! That, fundamentally, is what this Call to Action is about
Mr. David Johnson, President and Founder of Let’s Unpack It (Barbados)

I am delighted to support this call to action on mental health. As a psychotherapist, I am aware of the enormous stress being experienced by young people and the consequences on their mental health. Gender-based violence, bullying, substance abuse and undiagnosed serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression are all causes for concern. I look forward to hearing the passionate voices of young people as they raise awareness of these issues across the region
Mrs. Tina Alexander, Executive Director of Lifeline Ministries (Dominica)

We have come to live in a world that is much different from what our parents and grandparents knew. With growing social and economic inequalities, violence, conflicts, pandemics and for youth,social and digital media have become an inescapable part of our lives; mental health is bound to be at risk. I urge you to digitally detox, take a break and recharge, reset! We all have minds that need to be cared for, some Tropical remedy is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed
Conversation
Ms. Ashma McDougall, President of the National Youth Council of Dominica

Supporting Activities

Working With the First Ladies

Her Excellency Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, the First Lady of The BahamasPhoto: The Tribune

We are pleased to share that Her Excellency Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, the First Lady of The Bahamas, has pledged her commitment to protecting the mental health of children and young people in the Caribbean. Thank you First Lady Davis!

Her Excellency Mrs. Rossana Briceño, the First Lady of BelizePhoto: BBN

On October 21st 2022, Sahar Vasquez, HCY Member in Belize and Co-founder of Mind Health Connect Belize, met with the First Lady of Belize, Her Excellence Rossana Briceno to discuss the Mental Health Call to Action. Thank you to the First Lady for showing her commitment to mental health!

HCY in Bahamas Meet With Policymakers To Discuss the Call to Action

Pictured left to right : Vernon Davis, Gabrielle Edwards, First Lady Davis, Dr. Forbes, Wellecia Munnings

On October 4th 2022, Gabrielle Edwards, 5th year Medical Student and Healthy Caribbean Youth member met with Mrs Ann Marie Davis, First Lady of The Bahamas to discuss the Mental Health Call to Action. She was joined by 4th year medical students,  Vernon Davis & Wellecia Munnings and senior psychiatric resident, Dr. Petra Forbes.

Social Media Graphics

Healthy Caribbean Youth Host a Series of Instagram Lives To Promote the Call to Action

As part of pre-launch activities, Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) hosted two Instagram Lives on the Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s Instagram page, on the Saturday 1st and 8th October, 2022. During Day 1, youth mental health advocate, Trey Cumberbatch and Co-directors of Dance4Life Barbados, Shakira Emtage-Cave and Leila Raphael, gave their insight into the mental health of children and young people in the Caribbean and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of these groups. HCY member, Stephanie Whiteman (session moderator), provided an overview of the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action (CYMHCTA) and set the scene leading into day 2’s session, where we dive into the significance and potential impact of the calls within the Caribbean context.

During Day 2, HCY member, Simone Bishop-Matthews (session moderator), provided a recap of the four overarching calls. Counselling Psychologist and HCY member, Alaina Gomes, President and Founder of Let’s Unpack It, David Johnson and Youth Technical Advisor at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and HCY member, Pierre Cooke Jr., gave their take on the potential impact on communities and the Caribbean region if this CYMHCTA is implemented, from a mental health professional’s and a youth mental health organization’s perspective.

Re-watch Day 1 (click/tap to play)
Re-watch Day 2 (click/tap to play)

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HCC is partnering with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) for this year’s Caribbean Media Awards competition.

The August 15, 2023 CBU Caribbean Media Awards Gala event, to be transmitted live from Antigua and Barbuda, for the first time will include an award for print journalism under the theme: Healthy Nutrition Food Policy. The prize will include a trophy as well as a USD 500 bursary for the Award winner to produce additional material under the theme.

The eligible entries for the HCC-supported Award will explore healthy food policies including regulating school food environments, particularly through the restriction or ban on the sale and marketing of ultra-processed foods in schools (including sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs))s; fiscal policies to make healthy foods more affordable while deterring consumption of unhealthy ultra-processed foods through taxation such as the introduction of or increase in SSB taxes of at least 20%; and strengthening food labelling through the adoption of a regional front of pack black octagonal High-In labeling standard using the PAHO nutrient profile model.

This category is open to all print media, whether or not they are CBU members, operating from: Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands; the Commonwealth of Dominica; Grenada; Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat; St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent & the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Entries must have been published between January 1 and December 31, of 2022 and can be submitted through to April 12, 2023.

In welcoming this new partnership with the CBU, the HCC Executive Director, Ms Maisha Hutton said she, “looks forward to continued collaboration as we increase media engagement, and build regional support for healthy nutrition food policy, while celebrating the best of content created by media across the Caribbean.”

The post HCC Joins the Caribbean Broadcasting Union as a Theme Sponsor for the 2022 Caribbean Media Awards appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

On Thursday March 2, 2023 the Healthy Caribbean Coalition hosted, “Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean – How do we care for the 1 in 3?” – a webinar aimed to create a space for persons with lived experience, advocates and practitioners to discuss childhood obesity treatment and management in the Caribbean.

The conversation centered around the need to embrace and protect a child’s right to health which should be extended to quality healthcare services and support.

The panelists provided their unique perspectives on how we can actualize caring for the 1 in 3 Caribbean children who are living with overweight or obesity.

Professor Alafia Samuels
Chair of NCD Child and member of the Board of Trustees of the World Obesity Federation

Professor Anne St. John
Pediatrician and Medical Director for Youth Health Heart with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados

Ms. Michelle Sutton
Health and Wellness Coordinator, Ministry of Education, SKN

 

• Mr. Komo Phillips, Parent
• Mr. Kareem Smith, person with lived experience

Moderated by:

Alaina Gomes
HCY and Counselling Psychologist, Antigua

Pierre Cooke Jr.
HCC Technical Youth Advisor

Danielle Walwyn
HCC Advocacy Officer and Coordinator of Healthy Caribbean Youth

The conversation started with centering on the lived experience with perspectives by Jomo Phillips and Kareem Smith – both of them sharing their thoughts on how obesity is viewed in the Caribbean. Kareem shared,

How is obesity viewed in the Caribbean? – a simple answer is “not very good” and from my perspective from a young age, that is because there are a multiplicity of very politically incorrect – sometimes insulting words – and ways that are used to describe children who are overweight and in some circumstances where there are very few real pathways for parents and children to actually address that problem

He also shared that children are exposed to a “tremendous amount of dialogue about their weight” which is not constructive or helpful from friends, family and even physicians. Danielle echoed this sentiment from her own personal experiences with being overweight as a child.

Further Kareem noted that when he was growing up, he didn’t feel as if childhood obesity efforts were prioritized by policymakers which he noted is shifting but emphasized that there needs to be more monitoring and enforcement of recommended policies.

Support for children living with obesity must span sectors of society. Mr. Phillips, emphasized the tremendous support that the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados’ Yute gym has provided for his family and his daughter who lived with obesity. Mr. Phillips noted that the gym provides a variety of different activities that include physical activity, healthy eating and preparing healthy meals. One of the things that he says keeps his daughter going is the ability to bond and engage with other young “people who look like her and have similar struggles but also have fun and enjoy the program as well.”

In transitioning the conversation to the management of childhood obesity, Danielle asked audience members what they thought was critical to properly manage children living with obesity. They said:

In focusing on management, Professor St John highlighted the new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity.

In referencing the guidelines, she noted,

Those guidelines are not too soon in coming. Over the years in pediatrics, we have really struggled to facilitate parents becoming sensitized , as Kareem mentioned in his experience. We find that doctors [and] healthcare providers are not sensitized that overweight and obesity is an issue, healthwise. A child will visit the office with a cold or cough complaint and the child is overweight. The overweight is not mentioned by the physician, just the acute illness. If you don’t identify something as an issue you don’t try to manage it. The American guidelines of about 90 pages – is quite comprehensive – in essence there is not a lot of new information there. The guidelines place emphasis on the need to examine the child, and the need to identify specific issues, risk factors, genetic factors, and other factors, which play a role in the conditions of obesity and overweight, and then there is a need to treat the obesity and overweight as soon as the diagnosis is made and not to wait until the child is a teenager

Upon reflection of the guidelines and management of obesity, panelists shared a number of sentiments:

Professor Alafia was disappointed that clinical guidelines were being released before prevention guidelines. She emphasized the need to continue with our ongoing childhood obesity prevention efforts including advocating for policies that protect food environments – like regulating the sale and marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. It is important to note that these prevention efforts are also critical in the management of childhood obesity.

Mr. Kareem Smith, also agreed that prevention is better than cure and “instilling good habits early in children’s lives” is important. He also noted that technical expertise is critical in guiding children who do live with obesity as the lack of guidance can lead to persons managing their weights in unsustainable or unhealthy ways.

Ms. Sutton spoke about the need to shape school environments and particularly the importance of the school curriculum. She noted that Saint Kitts and Nevis rebranded Physical and Health Education and Health and Family Life Education curricula – expanding them to focus more on the holistic health of a child. She said that these changes are in an effort to move “beyond telling people to do something – it is about empowering them and teaching them the skills sets to be healthy for life”

Mr. Phillips ended the panel by zoning in on the importance of the healthcare system in managing childhood obesity. He said that he has appreciated the passion, concern and care that his daughter’s pediatricians have provided along the journey. However, in general, there needs to be a heightened awareness and sensitivity of the challenges that these children and their families experience. Secondly there is a need for increased resources to support these persons – many more people need similar programs that the Heart and Stroke Foundation Yute Gym provides.

The webinar ended with panelists sharing their wish for childhood obesity prevention and management in the Caribbean.

Ban the marketing of unhealthy products to children because every hundred dollars they spend creates 200 dollars extra in consumption which would not have happened but for the marketing. They need to stop promoting toxic environments to our children.
Professor Alafia Samuels

My wish for the stigma associated with persons to be considered overweight and obese to be removed and for us to focus more on helping and assisting as opposed to labeling.
Ms. Alaina Gomes

My wish, in addition to supporting Prof Samuels, is to have throughout the Caribbean formulation and implementation of schools nutrition policies to encompass students from the age of 4 up to the age of 17 when they leave the school [given] that that is the environment where they spend most of their time. School nutrition policies for all schools throughout the Caribbean.
Professor Anne St. John

My wish is for the parents to understand that they are there to support their children in developing healthy habits – so stop sending the salty, sugary snacks to school and start cutting up some fresh fruits and vegetables that we can send to school for healthy snacking and healthy eating.
Ms. Michelle Sutton

That the rights of children are respected and protected in all of our obesity prevention and management efforts.
Mr. Pierre Cooke Jr.

We need to have our children treated with care and when necessary institutionalizing weight stigma and bias protocols within their spaces so that their health and wellbeing is protected. Our children deserve so much better and I think we can all agree that they deserve the best.
Danielle Walwyn

At the highest levels of Caricom – is the political prioritization of addressing obesity and not just language around it but actual action – to implement a package of policies… We need a comprehensive suite of policies recommended by PAHO, WHO, CARPHA and the HCC. So, my wish is that those policies are implemented because we know that it works and we’ve seen it in other countries and we have more to lose than many other places in the world.
Maisha Hutton

The HCC looks forward to continuing to facilitate conversations like these that center around children and their ultimate right to health.

The post World Obesity Day 2023 Webinar: Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean – How do we care for the 1 in 3? appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

The Campaign at a Glance

The “Now More than Ever: Better Labels, Better Choices, Better Health” campaign originally launched in March 2021, by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UNICEF and the OECS Commission will run again from Monday February 13 2023, for three weeks. The regional campaign will raise awareness about the impact of childhood overweight and obesity and the regional NCD epidemic, while promoting children’s right to nutritious foods and mobilising public and policymaker support for the adoption of the octagon shaped warning labels on the front of packaged foods as the best way to help Caribbean citizens identify products that are high in sugars, fats and salt.

The multimedia campaign originally ran from March 12 until April 30, 2021, across social media, digital media and radio platforms in CARICOM Member States, and is part of wider regional multisectoral, multistakeholder advocacy and communication efforts to promote healthy food environments.

Campaign Metrics

Campaign Webinar
The webinar, A Conversation About the Urgency to Introduce Front-of-Package Warning Labeling in the Caribbean, laid out the public health arguments for the octagonal ‘High In’ model and the PAHO Nutrient Profile model. Experts from regional public health institutions, academia and civil society presented compelling evidence on the urgency to seize this unique opportunity to introduce octagonal warning labels as a key policy tool of a comprehensive approach to address NCDs, overweight and obesity, that will help Caribbean people make healthier choices for better health. Attended by over 350 persons, this webinar took place on Wednesday April 7 and was hosted by the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and UNICEF as part of the regional campaign “Now More Than Ever: Better Labels, Better Choices, Better Health”, which seeks to raise awareness of children’s right to nutritious food and mobilize public and policymaker support for adopting octagonal warning labels on the front of packaged products to facilitate healthier food decisions. Read more

Our Partners

What Is the Campaign Trying To Achieve?

Using a rights-based approach, this regional communication and awareness campaign aims to contribute to the creation of healthier food environments for Caribbean people including children and young people by building support for the accelerated implementation of mandatory front-of-package octagonal warning labelling.

More specifically, the objectives campaign are:

• To increase public and policymaker awareness about the urgent situation of childhood overweight and obesity and diet-related NCDs in the Caribbean using a rights-based approach.
• To increase awareness of parents, guardians, children and young people of the importance of healthy nutrition for children and young people to combat childhood overweight and obesity, using a rights-based approach.
• To increase public and policymaker knowledge about front-of-package warning labels as a rights-based tool to regulate obesogenic environments and tackle childhood overweight and obesity and NCDs in the Caribbean.
• To increase public and policymaker support and demand for the accelerated implementation of the CARICOM FOPWL standard in the Caribbean, using a rights-based approach.

Who Are We Targeting?

This campaign is focused on the following audiences:.

• Parents, guardians, children and young people, to promote the importance of healthy eating habits/good nutrition, the appreciation of the rights of children to access nutritious food and the importance of FOPWL as part of a comprehensive strategy to facilitate that right.
• Policymakers (including key decision-makers), to build awareness and support for accelerated policy implementation and inclusion of priority nutrition policies in COVID-19 recovery planning.

Campaign Resources

Social Media Cards

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More Materials

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Video

Animations

Public Service Announcements

NOW More Than Ever We Need Better Labels, Better Choices, Better Health

https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HEALTHY-CBEAN-COALITION-PSA-1-MIX_0.mp3

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NOW More Than Ever Our Children are at Risk
https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HEALTHY-CBEAN-COALITION-PSA-2-MIX_0.mp3

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NOW More Than Ever Our Children Have A Right To Know What’s Really in Our Food
https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HEALTHY-CBEAN-COALITION-PSA-3-MIX.mp3

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NOW More Than Ever Our Health is At Risk
https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HEALTHY-CBEAN-COALITION-PSA-4-MIX.mp3

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NOW More Than Ever Our Leaders Can Make a Real Difference
https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HEALTHY-CBEAN-COALITION-PSA-5-MIX.mp3

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The post Now More Than Ever Regional Campaign Promoting Front-of-Package Warning Labelling appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has led the development of this discussion paper in collaboration with a group of like-minded civil society representatives from other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions, and with the support of the NCD Alliance (NCDA), a global network of CSOs also dedicated to NCD prevention and control worldwide.

This discussion paper was developed as a contribution to the High-Level Technical Meeting and Ministerial Conference on NCDs and Mental Health in SIDS, which will be convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Barbados, in January and June 2023 respectively.

This discussion paper outlines the unique characteristics of SIDS and the challenges they face, particularly related to their size, geography, and small populations; constraints for achieving economies of scale due to their small domestic markets, limited resources, and undiversified economies; and threats from the climate crisis and food and nutrition insecurity. These challenges, among others, have been aggravated by the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has put at further risk SIDS’ efforts to mount efficient and effective responses to their disproportionate burden of NCDs, using approaches that are equity- and rights-based, multisector, and multistakeholder.

Civil society is a critical stakeholder, along with government and the private sector free from conflicts of interest, in the response to the major NCDs—heart disease and stroke, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental, neurological, and substance abuse disorders (MNSDs). CSOs advocate for and contribute to interventions that address NCDs and their risk factors—particularly poor diets, tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, and air pollution—as well as the determinants of health—social, economic, environmental, commercial, political, legal, and other non-medical factors that strongly influence health outcomes. In producing this discussion paper, HCC, NCDA, and SIDS civil society representatives analysed the NCD situation in SIDS across various regions, built on global and regional frameworks for the reduction of NCDs and their underlying causes, and identified priorities, recommendations, and key asks for inclusion in the report of the January 2023 High-Level Technical Meeting and the outcome document of the June 2023 Ministerial Conference on NCDs and Mental Health in SIDS.

Read or download the discussion paper.

Authors welcome comments on this discussion paper at hcc@healthycaribbean.org until 28 February 2023.

 

The post Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in Small Island Developing States – A Discussion Paper by Civil Society appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) are pleased to present ‘Our Health, Our Right – A Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda for the Caribbean’, a tool for young people seeking to advocate for urgent government action on the epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity in the Caribbean using a rights-based lens.

The Caribbean has some of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world. Unlike other NCDs that are more common in adulthood, more children and young people are living with overweight and obesity and experiencing the associated physical and mental healthcomplications. Further, overweight and obesity in childhood often tracks into adulthood, increasing the risk of developing NCDs later in life.

Given the implications of childhood obesity for their generation, it is important that young people are equipped with the tools and information needed to advocate for healthier environments and hold Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders to their commitments to protect the best interest of their citizens, especially those persons and groups in conditions of vulnerability, including children.

Today young people worldwide are stepping up to the plate to lead the charge against global challenges that threaten their future. We see them in the fight for climate resilience, the calls for peace and most recently, in the fight against NCDs. This Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda is a companion tool to help young people develop advocacy skills in childhood obesity prevention. It incorporates legal principles of international law and uses the basis of fundamental human rights as a foundation for health advocacy. At each step of the manual, young people are provided with policy suggestions geared towards preventing, treating, and managing childhood obesity. By following it, young people can enhance their advocacy in this space and create a better future for themselves and their peers.

Pierre Cooke Jr, HCC Technical Advisor and Primary author of ‘Our Health, Our Right – A Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda for the Caribbean’

‘Our Health, Our Right – A Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda for the Caribbean’ provides: an overview of rights-based advocacy, relevant health rights, a list of youth-informed asks to guide the prevention, treatment care and support of children living with overweight and obesity, and guidance on how policymakers can better engage and support youth who live with this condition and are advocating for this cause. The tool also provides a related case study and list of advocacy resources.

The Agenda builds on the HCC Civil Society Action Plan 2017-2021: Preventing Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean (CSAP) which provides HCC member civil society organizations (CSOs) with a framework for CSO-led action in support of national and regional responses to combat childhood obesity as well as HCCs Transformative New NCD Agenda (TNA-NCDs) which proposes a fresh approach to NCD reduction and treatment underpinned by principles of equity and human rights and driven by social activism by critical groups including young people.

The Agenda also compliments an existing youth resource – ‘Youth Voices in Health Advocacy Spaces: A Guide for You(th) in the Childhood Obesity Space’ that was co-developed by The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and World Obesity Federation (WOF) and launched in 2021. This resource is for young people who are ready (or have already started) to explore the world of advocacy, especially those who are interested in advocating for childhood obesity prevention and environments that prioritise and protect children’s health. The toolkit is also valuable for youth allies who are dedicated to supporting youth in their advocacy work.

View and download ‘Our Health, Our Right – A Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda for the Caribbean’ here.

The post Our Health, Our Right – A Rights-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Agenda for the Caribbean appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.