We are absolutely delighted to have recently received a grant from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) to support our efforts to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in St Kitts and Nevis.
NCDs are a major challenge in St Kitts and Nevis and are the leading cause of mortality, morbidity and hospital admissions. A study conducted by the University of Newcastle and the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported that 54% of adults had at least one chronic illness and the Nevis Island Administration recently reported that 85% of hospital admissions were NCD-related. Furthermore, 83% of deaths in St Kitts and Nevis are due to NCDs.
Driving the high prevalence of NCDs is obesity. The 2008 WHO STEPS survey found that 33.5% of 25-64-year olds were overweight and 45% were obese. Also, a PAHO report published in 2012 revealed that 32.5% of secondary school children were overweight and 14.4% were obese.
To prevent high levels of mortality and morbidity due to NCDs, we need to tackle obesity and an important way that we can do this is by ensuring that we create a healthy environment where it is easy to make healthy choices.
This grant will help us advocate for government policies and decisions related to unhealthy food and beverages and implement a media campaign focusing on the harms of unhealthy choices. By doing this we hope to drive the change that is required to reduce the public’s consumption of unhealthy food and beverages and therefore reduce the rate of NCDs.
We are very grateful to the GHAI for their support and look forward to making a difference to the public’s health through this project.
More Information
Over the next few months look out for information on this new project. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please email info@lakehealthandwellbeing.com
References
Pan American Health Organisation (2012). Health in the American 2012: St Kitts and Nevis [Online]. Available at: https://www.paho.org/salud-en-las-americas-2012/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&category_slug=hia-2012-country-chapters-22&alias=145-saint-kitts-nevis-145&Itemid=231&lang=en
UNICEF, (2017). Situation Analysis of Children in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. [Online] Bridgetown: UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area and the Government of St Kitts and Nevis, pp, 12-79. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/easterncaribbean/ECAO_St._Kitts_Sitan_2017.pdf
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