Helping Hands Programme a Success

From August to December 2022, we partnered with Sagicor through their new Helping Hands Programme to deliver a series of Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and ICDF.

This initiative was of particular importance because non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the major public health challenge in St Kitts and Nevis, and the region. Data shows that 54% of people in St Kitts and Nevis are living with a chronic health condition and 63% of deaths in the federation are due to NCDs. We need to do something to support those living with these conditions so they have the best outcome possible.

We know that when people are diagnosed with an NCD, they can feel hopeless, worried, scared and disempowered and it can seem like a significant burden because of the impact the condition can have on a person’s personal and professional life because of the ups and downs and unpredictability that can come from living with an NCD.

The six-week evidence-based chronic disease self-management programme aimed to address all these challenges by providing the tools to successfully manage an NCD by teaching effective self-management techniques such as communication skills, action planning, problem-solving, medication management, mindfulness and others. These techniques not only aim to ensure that patients live well whilst navigating their NCD, but to thrive.

The approach that was utilised for this project is the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). This is an evidence-based program that addresses common issues faced by people with chronic conditions. The program has been implemented in 19 countries around the globe showing the following benefits:

Improved health behaviours
Improved health of patients
Fewer hospitalisations

"Words cannot adequately convey my deep appreciation for what we, the participants, have achieved over a six-week period. The material presented each week was as informative as it was timely, and serves to sensitize us to the reality of self- managing our various situations. The facilitators were awesome! We saw patience, understanding and a labour of love on display each week. Thank you. And to Sagicor, thanks for sponsoring such a worthwhile venture. That is deeply appreciated. The certificates are beautiful, and the books are a treasure."

Workshop Participant

It was a pleasure to host these sessions which empowered and equipped participants to improve their health and wellbeing. Through this initiative, we hosted four six-week chronic disease self-management workshops reaching 60 people living with NCDs.

This partnership between Sagicor, the Ministry of Health, the Taiwan ICDs and ourselves, Lake Health and Wellbeing demonstrates the power of collaboration and utilising a whole-of-society approach to tackling important public health issues. Through this collaboration, the private sector, government, an international agency and a local NGO have come together to improve the health and wellbeing of the public, and we’re delighted to have been a part of this project. We would like to thank our project partners, it was a pleasure working with you all, and we look forward to future partnerships like these as they are much-needed.

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