POSDEVAL
Inception Workshop
Inception Workshop Report
Declaration of POS
Major Results
Workshop Report
Objective 1
Objective 4a
Objective 4b
Objective 4c
NCD Statistics
The Evaluation Report
Diet, Food & Agriculture
Reducing Alcohol-related Harm
Prevention & Control
Promoting Health in Different Settings
Media & Advocacy
Action Guides
Faith-based Organisations
The Final Detailed Report
Final Report Appendices
POSD Evaluation Grids
NCD Links
NCD Stories
Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence
Writing Competition
Women Farmers
INTERESTING LINKS & ARTICLES
Development Bank supports Nevis' St. James Primary School's organic farming project
Bahamas to Ban Sweetened Drinks from Schools and Healthcare Facilities
St. Kitts-Nevis Agriculture Sector Continues to Push for Healthy Eating
Some Parents Not Using $5 School Feeding Programme in Nevis
Pan American Journal of Public Health Publishes POSDEVAL Thematic Issue
$5 a Day School Feeding Programme in Nevis
FaN Congratulates Prof. Samuels on Selection as a One Health Lancet Commissioner
Something Special Happening Nevis Schools
FaN Project and Partners a Step Closer to Addressing Gap in HFLE Curriculum
One Major Challenge in Trying to Be Successful as a Farmer
Caribbean People Are Eating More Local, Fresh Food
Drivers for Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean
Jamaica's Minister of Health Designated As FaN Policy Entrepreneur
CXC Progress, New Research Prompts Changes to Curriculum
St Kitts and Nevis Safe, Local Food Supplementing School Meals
Household Nutrition Project to Enter New Phase
Farmers Experience Some Challenges in Nevis
Making Sense of the Information Gathered from the FaN Project
When You Eat Local Does it Automatically Mean it's Healthy?
CXC Looking to Include Curriculum Content on NCDs
What is the Impact of Marketing of Unhealthy Food to Children?
Regional Food Import Bills and the Cost of Inputs in Agriculture are Skyrocketing
FaN Monthly News Bulletins
Celebrating 60 years – University of Technology Jamaica
CXC Planning to Include NCDs in their Curriculum
Despite Challenges, Regional Agriculture Heads Keen to Help in Health
POS @ 10 'Time to Step It Up' Video
FaN on St. Kitts Local Radio Show
Obesity fight: Marathon not a sprint
Let's unite to fight the obesity plague
When the sugar too sweet
Doctors to focus on obesity at three-day symposium
The Evaluation of the Port of Spain Declaration Final Detailed Report
Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence 2016/17
CARICOM leaders: Breakthrough in the fight against NCDs in the region
Sugar Shocker
A CARICOM Head of Government reflects….
10 years after the Port of Spain Declaration: what's the score?
Breakthrough in move to stop fast food advertising in Barbados schools
New trial to target preventable deaths in the Caribbean
Challenge to childhood obesity in the Caribbean gets a high-level boost
Childhood and adolescent obesity
Increasing taxes on sugary drinks – will it make us healthier?
Cancer deaths among women to rise 60% by 2030, new reports warn
More than two sugary drinks a day greatly increases diabetes risk, study shows
World Health Organisation urges all countries to tax sugary drinks
Junk food shortening lives of children worldwide, data shows
Alcohol is a direct cause of seven ​​forms of cancer, finds study
Obesity 'puts men at greater risk of early death'
One in three children aged six to nine in Europe overweight or obese – study
Global life expectancy increases to 71.4 years
Experts call for warnings on all alcohol as men refuse to believe risks
Our gigantic problem with portions: why are we all eating too much?
Mellissa's story: diabetes is not the end of me
Port of Spain evaluation: Major results revealed
The overall goal of the project is to build a shared understanding amongst stakeholders of the complex adaptive systems driving local food production and consumption in English-speaking CARICOM states; and implement coordinated packages of interventions within national food systems that promote sustainable livelihoods of vulnerable groups, and combat obesity and diet-related NCDs.
The researchers, major collaborators and stakeholders of FaN who attended the Inception Workshop
The Port of Spain evaluation on NCDs contains a wealth of detail and recommendations on the way forward in the multisectoral challenge to the epidemic of chronic diseases in the Caribbean. Here is a wide-ranging but easily digestible look at the situation in a number of critical areas and what can and should be done next.
In 2007 CARICOM Heads of State signed a landmark Declaration to tackle the epidemic of NCDs
The Port of Spain Declaration promotes policies and behaviours that encourage the pursuit of better health on an individual, community, national and regional level
© PAHO-WHO/David Spitz
In July 2016 CARICOM Heads of Government pledged to address:
banning of smoking in public places;
banning advertisement of potentially harmful foods which specifically target children;
raising taxes on foods high in sugar, salt and trans fats
NCDs pose a major threat to both the health and future of the region and could seriously effect hard-won development gains
Childhood obesity exceeds 10% in most countries,
driven by consuming high-fat, high sugar food and drink,
Less than 1/3 of school children, 13-15, get the recommended level of physical activity
© fotolia/rubberball/igp
NCD mortality in the Caribbean is the highest in the Americas.
40% of NCD deaths occur in those under 70 and are potentially preventable
Photo Credit: Shari John
Heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and cancers are the leading causes of premature death in the region. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death
Diabetes prevalence is double global rates. Up to 25% of adults in some countries have diabetes
Improving Household Nutrition Security and Public Health in the CARICOM (FaN- Food and Nutrition):
The project builds on the lessons and outcomes from the "Farm to Fork" project and the findings and recommendations of the Evaluation of the POS Declaration, and seeks to determine how previous and proposed research can best be scaled up and incorporated into more nutrition-sensitive, gender-responsive food systems for CARICOM."
Improving Household Nutrition Security and Public Health in the CARICOM
(FaN – Food and Nutrition)
The Caribbean has the highest burden from NCD in the Americas, driven by an epidemic of adult and child obesity, caused by the "diet/nutrition transition". The overall goal of the project is to build a shared understanding amongst stakeholders of the complex adaptive systems driving local food production and consumption in English-speaking CARICOM states; and implement coordinated packages of interventions within national food systems that promote sustainable livelihoods of vulnerable groups, and combat obesity and diet-related NCDs.
The Port of Spain Declaration Evaluation (POSDEVAL)
The Port of Spain Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases: the path to a healthier Caribbean
In 2007, CARICOM leaders signed the ground-breaking Port of Spain Declaration aimed at uniting to stop the epidemic of NCDs. Now this Declaration is being evaluated by a team of top experts.
Are these ambitious commitments being met? What are the successes and challenges?
The evaluation answers these critical questions.
POSDEVAL Posts
Public perceptions of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
What does the public understand about NCDs? Have they heard of them? What are their experiences of them and how do they feel they touch their lives?
This was the question that Dr Anique Atherley, a Junior Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies and a group of researchers set out to answer in a quick research project focusing on short street interviews with Barbadian men and women. They captured a variety of opinions in a variety of settings around the island.
Here is a selection of their voices.
Living with cancer: Michelle's story
Michelle O'Kieffe was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at the age of 32. Having been in remission for many years, she is determined to improve support for women living with cancer in Trinidad and Tobago. Here is her story.
My name is Michelle O'Kieffe and I live in Trinidad. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2000 at the age of 32.
I discovered a small lump just below my right breast. When I went to get it checked out the doctors were more panicked than I was. I didn't have a clue that it could be cancer. There was no history of it in my family and I was young, 121 pounds, I didn't smoke, I was vegetarian, really active.
But when I got the diagnosis, that the cancer had already spread, I took it in my stride. I saw it as another challenge, another hurdle to get over. If anything it was harder on my mum who was alive at the time. She took all the worry, all the emotion, asked all the questions that I didn't want to ask.
It was hard on my husband and kids as well. I had two sons Christopher aged 12 and Christian 6. I started preparing them for what might happen.
"We need to urgently tackle NCDs in our region and the 2007 Port of Spain Declaration helps us rise to the challenge. We are now evaluating the Declaration to find out where we have succeeded and where we can do better as we strive for a healthier Caribbean"
Dr Rudolph Cummings, Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
"The epidemic of non-communicable diseases is the pre-eminent public health challenge in the Caribbean. But the response goes far beyond health. That's why we need a multisectoral approach that involves the whole-of-government and the whole-of-society. The Port of Spain Declaration evaluation helps guide us in what each sector should be doing to respond more effectively"
Dr C. James Hospedales, Executive Director, Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)
"There are those who can make lifestyle adjustments to challenge NCDs but there are other people who can't do this on their own. We need government policy to address the realities of the typical man and woman in the Caribbean who has real difficulty making healthy choices because of the environment they live in"
Dr Patrick Martin, Chief Medical Officer, St Kitts and Nevis
"I often speak about the connection between spirituality and health, drawing attention to the theological notion that God Almighty cares about the whole person; about our immortal souls and our bodies. So we need to take care of them. We need to eat better, be active and reduce stress"
Canon Noel Burke, Rector of St David's Church, Barbados
"The emotional impact of Trevor's Illness is very profound, for example, the moments of sadness… especially when I think of the many things he was capable of and the many plans he had for the future. I miss our conversations too"
Beverley Redhead, commenting on life after husband Trevor's stroke
"As a church elder, I preach that God wants us to look after ourselves not only spiritually but physically too. Our health is important to Him and it should be to us as well"
Priscilla Prevost, Health Coordinator for the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh - day Adventists
"As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Port of Spain Declaration in 2017, its evaluation allows us the opportunity to review the state of implementation of the 27 commitments and to reflect on the lessons learned, as we scale up our efforts to tackle the epidemic of non-communicable diseases in the Caribbean"
Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Food and Nutrition (FaN) Project
Caribbean Institute for Health Research
Mona, Kingston 7
Telephone: 876-927-2471 | Fax: 876-927-2984
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