Meeting report: Caribbean civil Society led conference aimed at tackling chronic non-communicable diseases in the region

Chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) are occurring in epidemic proportions in all countries within the Caribbean, resulting in ill health and premature death. This in turn puts an immense financial and personal burden on the people in the region. Aware that the situation occurred due to an increase in several common risk factors and an inadequate societal response to disease management, a Caribbean civil society led conference on tackling chronic disease was held in Barbados, 16–18 October 2008.

This conference was a follow up to, and in support of, the Heads of Governments of the Caribbean Region Summit on CNCDs held in Port of Spain, Trinidad 15 September 2007. The civil society conference was hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados, together with PAHO, the Caribbean Development Bank, the InterAmerican Heart Foundation and other local organizations.

Inadequate societal response to risk factor management

Disease prevention and promotion of good health are both affordable and effective. The conference aimed to highlight that daily life presents many opportunities where healthy lifestyles can and should be encouraged, including the workplace, schools, places of worship, the community and at home. And the region needed to involve itself more proactively in risk factor management, which embodies screening, prevention of these conditions, and treatment of persons already affected.

The conference also recognised the fact that civil society organizations have a strong record of providing services and public education, and have traditional linkages with people in the community that can be harnessed to effect behaviour change. They have at their disposal a variety of useful tools to mobilise society and drive change, such as advocacy, coalition building, service delivery programmes, and resource mobilisation that can be applied effectively to address the CNCDs epidemic.

Prime Minister of Barbados opens the conference

Representatives of many organizations throughout the region, including nongovernmental health organizations, faith based organizations, representatives of labour and the business community, educators and researchers, the youth, service clubs, policy makers, and healthcare providers attended the conference. The faculty consisted of experts in their respective fields from the region and internationally.

The keynote address was delivered and the conference declared open by the Honourable David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados, who pointed out that “if we want to bring about lasting social change (and by extension enhanced lifestyles), we have to mobilise our people. And there is no better way to do this than to seek the participation and win the support of civil society organizations”.

Conference highlights

Two highlights of the conference included the delivery of the Science of Peace Lecture and the award to Sir George Alleyne, Director Emeritus of PAHO/WHO, and the 5th InterAmerican Heart Foundation Journalism Contest Awards ceremony on tobacco control. The conference met its many objectives and goals which included:

• Planning civil society’s response to the pandemic of chronic diseases in the region
• Provision of a forum for representatives of various sectors of society to learn more and exchange information about chronic diseases
• Capacity building
• Identification and promotion of evidence-based best practices
• Consideration of resource mobilisation.

On conclusion of the conference a:

• Caribbean Civil Society Declaration on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases was issued
• Draft of a Caribbean Civil Society Action Plan for tackling chronic diseases was circulated
• Goal to establish a task force of representatives of Caribbean Civil Society was mandated to Dr Trevor Hassell (Conference Coordinator), the aim of which is to set up a Coalition against chronic diseases and to implement the decisions taken at the conference.

For further information: www.healthycaribbean(at)hsfbarbados.org

To access the conference presentations:  www.healthycaribbean.org/conference_papers/conference_presentations.html