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)

The post Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

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

download

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

download

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

download

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

download

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

download

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.

On Saturday December 10th 2022, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY), in partnership with the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN), the Jamaica Health Advocates Youth Arm (JHAYA), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) and The University of Technology Association of Nutrition and Dietetics Students (UTANDS) held the second CARIBBEAN YOUTH VOICES IN HEALTH ADVOCACY SPACES: Healthy Food Policy virtual workshop. Participants tuned in from Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago!

During the first session, participants discussed the obesity and NCD challenges facing the Caribbean region, the importance of healthy food policy in addressing these challenges and the value of rights-based advocacy.

The second session featured a panel discussion moderated by Simeca Alexander, Advocacy Officer (GHAP), Heart Foundation of Jamaica. The panelists (Maisha Hutton, Executive Director, HCC, Francine Charles, Programme Manager, HSFB; Shereika Mills, Advocacy and Policy Coordinator, JYAN; Rosanna Pike, Health Education Officer, Heart Foundation of Jamaica and Vonetta Nurse, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Jamaica) shared their insights on strategically advocating along the policy process.

The final session focused on using the SMART principle to guide the development of advocacy action plans. Participants joined different breakout rooms to discuss experiences in advocating for different healthy food policies in the Caribbean.  Shannique Bowden and Shereika (JYAN) led the School Nutrition Policy breakout room and shared their experience participating in the consultation process in Jamaica; Danielle, Simeca and Rosanna shared their organisations’ experiences in advocating for Front of Package Nutrition Warning Labelling, and Abi Begho (Director of Program Management, Lake Health and Wellbeing) assisted by Rozette Scotland (HCY), discussed Lake Health and Wellbeing’s You’re Sweet Enough campaign in support of Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Participants were also tasked with brainstorming and developing their own SMART Advocacy plans to execute advocacy in their own territory!

Goal

To build capacity and momentum among Caribbean youth to advocate for the implementation of Healthy Food Policies

Objectives

1. To revisit content covered during workshop #1 held in September/October
2. To build capacity of youth advocates to design SMART advocacy actions to execute locally and regionally in support of healthy food policies/healthy food environments
3. To co-create workshop 3 agenda to be held in 2023

Outcomes

1. Increased awareness among Caribbean youth of the importance of rights-based advocacy and healthy food policies
2. To build a better understanding of SMART objectives and activities to prepare participants to design advocacy action plans (during workshop 3) which will focus on healthy food policies to be executed locally and regionally
3. A draft agenda, co-designed by youth across the region, to guide the development of workshop #3 for a select group of youth organisations

Welcome

Danielle Walwyn, Advocacy Officer and Coordinator of Healthy Caribbean Youth, Healthy Caribbean Coalition

CIRCLING Back – Recap of Workshop #1

Discussion: Let’s talk about Policy

Moderator: Simeca Alexander, Advocacy Officer, Heart Foundation of Jamaica

Representative(s) from:

• Heart Foundation of Jamaica
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados
• Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network
• Healthy Caribbean Coalition

SMART WHAT? SMART Overview + How to create a SMART Advocacy Plan

Representative(s) from:

• Lake Health and Wellbeing
• Heart Foundation of Jamaica
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados
• Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network
• Healthy Caribbean Coalition

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Co-Creation of Workshop 3 Agenda & Wrap Up

Danielle Walwyn, Advocacy Officer and Coordinator of Healthy Caribbean Youth, Healthy Caribbean Coalition

Workshop #1
The first installment of the workshop series was held on Saturday September 24th and October 1st from 11:00AM – 2:00PM AST. The workshop introduced the issue of childhood obesity and NCDs in the Caribbean and the power of rights-based advocacy and healthy food policies in improving health outcomes. Attendees also learned about the importance of youth voices in health advocacy.

Workshop #2 – Let’s Reconnect
The second installment of the workshop series will be held on Saturday December 10th from 10:00AM – 12:00PM JA/11:00AM – 1:00PM AST. The focus of this 2 hour workshop will be to reconnect with attendees, recap workshop 1, revisit the concept of SMART Activities and invite attendees to brainstorm and co-create workshop 3 agenda.

Caribbean Youth Voices in Health Advocacy Spaces workshop series aims to bring awareness to the importance of healthy food environments and healthy food policies in building a healthier Caribbean among Caribbean youth. It also aims to strengthen the coalition of youth advocates from across the region who are demanding change to transform food environments in their local territory.

The post Caribbean Youth Voices in Health Advocacy Spaces Healthy Food Policy Virtual Workshop Part 2 appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

In Part 1 the Caribbean Superheroes series you read about the lived experiences of children and young people with type 1 diabetes.

Jawan, 7 and Tiana, 4, who are aspiring scientists from Trinidad and Tobago shared their dislike for checking their blood sugar levels, taking their insulin, and waiting for their insulin to start working before they can eat. Their mother, Penelope, outlined her daily routine which includes checking in on them during the night and at school.

Kerro, 20, an aspiring graphic artist from Antigua and Barbuda recalled some of her classmates and general public’s curiosity about her condition and the stigma she experienced. Kerro and Xarriah, 22, race car driver fan from Barbados both agreed on the importance of supportive friends on their type 1 diabetes journey.

Given that they have to live with the condition, these superheroes are also experts on how the wider society can better support people living with diabetes. Their recommendations focus on: 1. Diabetes Education, 2. Destigmatization, 3. Prioritizing spaces and environments that support healthy children, 4. Access to Medication and devices.

Aligned with the theme for World Diabetes Day 2022, “access to diabetes education”, all the superheroes agreed that education on one of the most common conditions in the Caribbean is critical. In particular, Xarriah and Kerro think that there should be improved education around all types of diabetes – including type 1. These superheroes have been educators since their diagnosis. However, they need help. Xarriah noted,

As much as we try to educate people, there is still a lot to be learned. And a lot of people still aren’t certain and a lot of people still group together the diabetes, the types, they still group together type 1 and type 2 and I think there needs to be a lot more information about what is type 1 versus what is type 2….not just bulking them all in one place and separating them and giving them their own identities so people understand.

Kerro agreed and she shared that even though diabetes runs in her family, she wasn’t aware of type 1 until she was diagnosed. She said,

Most times I just used to think it was older people. But now I know that people are born with it, you have babies who develop it. So I just think they need to start educating more, because, as I said, a lot of people in my class, at the age of 11 didn’t even know you could get it at such a young age.

Kerro and Xarriah recommend the integration of diabetes education into primary and secondary school subjects including Health and Family Life Education, Physical Education or Science across the Caribbean. Xarriah firmly believes in this approach as she notes that school-based education would have helped her when she got diagnosed as she, like Kerro, wasn’t aware of the realities of living with type 1 diabetes,

And in the event that one person gets type 1 they have an understanding of okay, this is what is happening to my body and this is what I may have to do for the rest of my life. And this is what I might have to endure. Because I feel like I was not very well educated when I was diagnosed. I had a general idea of diabetes because people in my family have type 2 but i didn’t have the knowledge of type 1 until I got diagnosed.

Widespread education on diabetes is critical in addressing the misinformation and resulting stigma that many persons living with diabetes experience.

Kerro recalls numerous cases where she has felt like her condition was misunderstood:

I feel like diabetics are part of that group that people tend to overlook. They just say “If you’re diabetic, it is caused by sugar and if you end up in the hospital it is because you eat too much sugar. “ So essentially you’ve caused it. That is something that I have encountered myself at a hospital.

This is a common misconception with type 1 diabetes. Persons living with type 1 diabetes don’t develop the condition as a result of lifestyle choices. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which your body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in your pancreas which drastically reduces the ability of your body to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar.

The lack of understanding of type 1 diabetes has also resulted in people treating those with the condition differently. Kerro, Xarriah and Penelope wished that people would treat children and young people living with diabetes like anyone else.

Kerro shared that, when diagnosed, “It’s not changing personality, it is not changing the person. It is not contagious. It is not going to harm you in any way – you as in the other person.”

For Penelope, she reassures her children that there is “nothing they cannot do” despite the world saying otherwise. She notes that her children are “even more amazing” as they live with diabetes.

In the absence of formal education or mass media awareness campaigns, Kerro encourages people who are curious about the condition to “just ask”.

In addition to improved education across age groups, Penelope, as a parent, highlights the need for schools to better care for children living with diabetes. She said she would value the presence of nurses, even if sporadic, on the school compound and the use of a sanitized private room to assist Jawan and Tiana with administering insulin or anything else they may need.

An effort to better care for children could also be extended to the implementation of healthy school nutrition policies to protect the school food environment. Although Penelope packs lunches for Jawan and Tiana, given their condition, she agreed that a school policy that would restrict the availability of ultra processed foods and improve the availability of fruits would be valuable. Relatedly, Penelope also noted the importance of physical activity at school but also at home. Penelope advises parents to prioritize physical activity and diversify, if possible, the kinds of activities that children do. Jawan, unlike his mom, loves to do burpees (a full body exercise that includes a pushup followed by a leap in the air) and they do them and other physical activities together. Jawan says he can do 20 burpees in 27 seconds and holds his mom accountable.

The final challenge outlined by the superheroes is access to insulin and appropriate glucose monitoring devices. Tiana said insulin gives her “super powers”, like Elsa from the movie Frozen. Children and young people need access to insulin and testing strips daily to be able to carry out their daily superhero duties.

The governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago provide a glucose monitoring device (GMD), insulin and testing strips but the quality of the GMD, insulin and the number of test strips provided varies.

Penelope shared her reality with trying to access what Tiana and Jawan need, “We have gotten one device per child and they provide us with the strips for the machines. I have written 2 Letters [to government] to increase the number of containers of strips for both children.” Her request, which had to be written by a doctor, was approved.

The glucose monitoring device that all the superheroes currently have requires them to prick their finger to test the sugar levels in their blood. Their dream is to be able to have access to a GMD that offers continuous glucose monitoring and does not require the user to prick themselves. Kerro painted the reality that unfortunately, “ it isn’t available here and the accessories or counterparts to it are very expensive.” She noted that the Antigua and Barbuda Diabetes Association has been lobbying to make them more widely available locally; currently each sensor costs $200 XCD and lasts 2 weeks (a total of $400 XCD a month).

But for her the Freestyle Libre would be ideal, “It’s much easier to use, and it motivates me to check my blood sugar more. It’s more convenient since I don’t have to continuously prick myself. I just put on the sensor/patch on my arm and put the monitor close to it. It’s almost like using Bluetooth to check my blood sugar”

Penelope shared similar sentiments, “I can’t afford the Libre, it would be so helpful to have access to it. It will definitely benefit my children with their lifestyle and assist me by being able to relax and not have to worry so much.”

In addition to the Freestyle Libre, Penelope said, “ I would love to have access to at least 3 different insulin,  needles (suitable for children) and Glucose Gummies to help raise blood sugar when needed.

In Barbados, Xarriah was quite pleased that the insulin pen had recently been added to the drug registry. The insulin pen is an insulin delivery system that generally looks like a large pen; it uses an insulin cartridge rather than a vial, and uses disposable needles. Xarriah says it is particularly convenient because it does not have to be on ice, unlike insulin vials. With the pens being added to the list, this means that “they are available at pharmacies across the island at a significantly reduced cost. This has been a tremendous help for those who prefer the pens and may not have been able to afford them before. The Diabetes and Hypertension Association of Barbados also provides insulin pens and vials to its members for free once they are available”

The superheroes are managing their reality but their quality of life could be improved with changes from all stakeholders – policymakers and you as a reader. The superheroes are calling for Diabetes Education, Destigmatization, Prioritization of spaces and environments that support healthy children and improved access to medication and devices. So, next time you see a child or young person testing their sugar levels or taking insulin, you can be curious but also be kind. If you hear a mother, like Penelope, asking for changes to the school environment to make it healthier and easier to navigate for her children (and yours) – support her.

Diabetes Month is highlighted every November, but let us not wait until November 2023 to share Tiana, Jawan, Penelope, Kerro and Xarriah’s experiences and solutions for change. Diabetes Day is their reality, let us do what we can to cheer on and support our superheroes on their daily journey.

November is World Diabetes Awareness month and November 14th has been deemed World Diabetes Day. The date was chosen in honour of Canadian Sir Frederick Banting, who, together with Charles Best discovered insulin, 100 years ago.

Danielle Walwyn is the Advocacy Officer at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and helps to coordinate its youth arm, Healthy Caribbean Youth. She is also working alongside Xarriah, superhero and member of the HCC People living with NCDS Advisory Committee, to create a space for young people living with NCDS to connect. Send feedback to danielle.walwyn@healthycaribbean.org

The post Caribbean Superheroes – Children and Youth living with Type 1 Diabetes Part 2 appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) continued it’s annual Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Day (CARD) webinar series with a webinar entitled The WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 – Priorities for the Caribbean.  Panelists shared global and regional updates reflecting on the challenges and opportunities to build momentum around Caribbean alcohol policy within the framework of the Global Alcohol Action Plan.

The HCC and partners have held an annual Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Day for the past 6 years, under the themes and titles: The Misuse of Alcohol (2016); Drink less, Reduce Cancer (2017); Youth: Let’s talk about alcohol (2018);  Women and Alcohol (2019),  Alcohol and COVID-19 (2020) and Live Better, Drink Less: Challenges and Opportunities in the Caribbean (2021) .

This year’s webinar was entitled The WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 – Priorities for the Caribbean.

The objectives of the 7th Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Day webinar were:

1. To provide an overview of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 and implications for key stakeholders globally and regionally.
2. To provide an update on regional progress in alcohol policy development and implementation including discussion of barriers and opportunities.
3. To discuss regional priorities for alcohol policy action within the framework of the Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 in order to inform a civil society position paper targeting the region’s policymakers entitled: The WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 – Priorities for the Caribbean.

The webinar took the form of a series of brief presentations followed by a panel discussion.

• Introduction: Maisha Hutton HCC Executive Director, Professor Rohan Maharaj, HCC Alcohol Policy Advisor, Professor of Family Medicine of University of the West Indies
• Presentations: Moderator, Maisha Hutton
• ‘WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 – Perspectives from the Region of the Americas’  including a look at PAHO’so #LiveBetterTakeAction campaign and Pahola, PAHOs first digital specialist on alcohol use – Dr. Maristela Monteiro, Senior Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, PAHO
• Global Perspectives on the WHO Alcohol Action Plan 2022 – 2030 – Mr. Øystein Bakke, Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA); Senior Adviser, Alcohol, Drugs and Development FORUT, Campaign for Development and Solidarity
• Alcohol Policy in the Caribbean Update – Professor Rohan Maharaj, HCC Alcohol Policy Advisor, Professor of Family Medicine of University of the West Indies
• Jamaica National Alcohol Policy – Michael A . Tucker, Executive Director, National Council on Drug Abuse, Jamaica
• Presentation of Priorities – Maisha Hutton HCC Executive Director
• Panel Discussion: Regional priorities for alcohol policy action within the framework of the Action Plan 2022-2030: Moderator – Maisha Hutton
• Closing & Thanks: Maisha Hutton and Professor Rohan Maharaj

Maisha Hutton
HCC Executive Director

Professor Rohan Maharaj
HCC Alcohol Policy Advisor, Professor of Family Medicine of University of the West Indies

Dr. Maristela Monteiro
Senior Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, PAHO

Mr. Øystein Bakke
Department of Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies

Michael A . Tucker
Executive Director, National Council on Drug Abuse, Jamaica

View the flyer here

The HCC and partners have held an annual Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Days (CARD) since 2016 you can find details of the other CARD days here.

The post 7th Caribbean Alcohol Reduction Day (CARD) 2022 appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.

An UPDATE on the Regional Standard for Labelling of Pre-Packaged Foods

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The Fate of Front of Packaging Warning Labelling in CARICOM

Since September 2022, national representatives have been participating in consultations across the region. The coming weeks and months will be critical for regional public health as we await the outcome of the national deliberations. From a public health perspective, a win is a recommendation to retain the Standard in its current format with the octagonal ‘high in’ warning label as the singular recommended labelling scheme guided by the PAHO nutrient profile model. Will we see a collective reckoning with CARICOM uniting around an agenda that places public health first?  HCC will be working with partners at the regional level and at the national level including Ministries of Health and civil society organisation members, to ensure that the public health perspective is prioritised in the deliberations.

For more on Front of Package Warning Labelling please visit our dedicated webpage here.

What is happening right now?

As of early November 2022, across the region, Caribbean countries are once again deliberating on whether or not to support the right of Caribbean citizens to have the best available front of package nutritional labelling model on their packaged foods. Through their local Standards Bureaus, National Mirror Committees in eleven (11) Member States are reviewing the Draft CARICOM Regional Standard for Specification for labelling of pre-packaged foods (DCRS 5:2010) which incorporates specifications for the ‘high-in’ monochromatic octagonal front of package warning label system (OWL) and the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model to guide the thresholds for labelling of pre-packaged foods as ‘high-in’.

The Standard meets the highest level of scientific rigor including the selection of the octagonal warning label and the PAHO nutrient profile model. There is a growing body of conflict of interest-free, scientific evidence which consistently supports the OWL as the best labelling model for empowering consumers to easily, correctly and quickly identify unhealthy foods ‘high in’ sodium, fats and sugars.   The OWL is also supported by a 2021 randomized controlled trial of adult shoppers conducted in Jamaica which examined the best performing front-of- package labelling (FOPL). The study was undertaken by the University of Technology, the Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).  The study found that the OWL consistently outperformed other labelling models (magnifying glass, UK traffic light, and GDA facts up front) helping Jamaican consumers to better identify foods ‘high in’ sodium, fats and sugars.

Wasn’t there a vote on this Standard last year? What was the outcome?

Last year, in 2021, all 15 CARICOM Member States were asked to vote on whether or not they approved the then Final Standard (FDCRS 5). Member States could approve, reject or abstain and a 75% vote of approval was needed to trigger escalation to the next stage of the Standard approval process. Ultimately 66% (6/9) of CARICOM countries voted in favour just falling short of the 75% target (6 countries abstained, 3 opposed, and 6 approved the Standard).   The vote was very close – had one of the 9 countries that either abstained or voted against the Standard, voted in favour, then the 75% target would have been achieved.  The inability to achieve consensus stalled the process and thrust it back into the consultations phase, further extending a long and exhaustive consultative period that began in 2018.

Why do we need more consultations? What has changed?

The consultations have recently resumed with Member States now being asked to make recommendations on what should be done with the Standard given the release of a study designed and implemented by the recently formed Caribbean Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, and the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA).  The CPSO, an Official Associate Institution of CARICOM, represents, amongst other sectors, the region’s food and beverage manufacturing sector. So the national deliberations are now being informed by two studies: the first study was conducted by an academic institution (University of Technology Jamaica) in partnership with national (Ministry of Health and Wellness Jamaica) and regional (PAHO) health authorities. The second study was conducted by a regional private sector umbrella organisation representing national private sector entities including those – the ultra-processed food and beverage sector – with a vested interest in the outcome of the study.

Better Labels, Better Choices, Better Health – why we need strong evidence-based front of package warning labelling

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of sickness, death and disability in the Caribbean. Rates of overweight and obesity are among the highest in the world and most worrying among children where 1 in 3 children and adolescents is living with overweight or obese. Unhealthy diets are a major risk factor contributing to the high rates of obesity and NCDs. Unhealthy diets are fueled by the widespread availability, accessibility, affordability, desirability, and consumption of ultra-processed products which contain high levels of “critical nutrients” of public health concern, namely sugars, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats and sodium.

The OWL empowers consumers of all ages, literacies and those living with NCDs, to quickly identify and avoid foods which are ‘high in’ sodium, fats and sugars.  Other labelling schemes such as the traffic light or the GDA (facts up front) do not present this information.  Instead they tell you the amount of grams of these nutrients (sodium, fats, sugars) and most consumers are unable touse this information to determine if the product is healthy or not, it only allows them to compare between unhealthy products.

Front of package warning labelling is also an enabling foundational policy which allows governments to easily identify those foods and beverage products which need to be regulated (restricted in schools for example) in order to support consumers in making the healthy choice the easy choice.

There is strong regional support for the OWL. Last year HCC, PAHO, the OECS Commission and UNICEF, implemented a regional campaign in support of the octagonal ‘high in’ warning labels – Better Labels, Better Choices, Better Health. The campaign was supported by almost 50 regional organisations and over 340 regional health professionals.

The Fate of the Warning Labelling in CARICOM

Since September 2022, national representatives have been participating in consultations across the region. The coming weeks and months will be critical for regional public health as we await the outcome of the national deliberations. From a public health perspective, a win is a recommendation to retain the Standard in its current format with the octagonal ‘high in’ warning label as the singular recommended labelling scheme guided by the PAHO nutrient profile model. Will we see a collective reckoning with CARICOM uniting around an agenda that places public health first?  HCC will be working with partners at the regional level and at the national level including Ministries of Health and civil society organisation members, to ensure that the public health perspective is prioritised in the deliberations

For more on Front of Package Warning Labelling please visit our dedicated webpage here.

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