Castries, Saint Lucia: The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs of Saint Lucia joined in the movement to raise awareness of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) following a Caribbean Wellness Day festival held in William Peter Boulevard.
The activity focused on ways in which individuals can engage in healthy lifestyles such as nutritious eating, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, being physically active and getting regular health checks.
Senior Medical Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases, Dr. Shana Cyr-Philbert spoke on the need to reduce the health risks posed by chronic non-communicable diseases. She believes celebrating Caribbean Wellness Day provides a great avenue to engage the population in taking action to tackle these diseases.
“Caribbean Wellness Day enables us to face the reality of the great need for wellness of the mind, the body and the soul. We are made aware of the impacts of un-wellness and what we can do to fight disease and death.”
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jenny Daniel, said commemorating Caribbean Wellness Day is the start of a journey toward the overall wellness of citizens.
“The Ministry is committed to placing wellness high on the agenda as we continue to rebuild the health system in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “The Ministry will also seek to establish the necessary synergies between other private and public sector agencies in order to influence or drive policies that promote wellness within the various institutions in society.”
Minister for Health, Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste, reaffirmed government’s commitment.
“As a country we are embarking on health policies which will improve access to affordable and essential healthcare for all,” he said. “The health systems strengthening policy aims to improve both the human resource and infrastructure needs of health systems. The World Bank project through the Performance Based Financing scheme will allow for improved screening of the population and allow for access to essential medicines and lab tests without putting additional burden on the finances of individuals.
“We are also working with educators to implement school nutritional policies that will ensure school aged children are allowed to eat healthy foods.”
The Caribbean Wellness Day festival included health discussions, physical activity sessions, and health education and screening, among other activities.
