Meet the Willbuts, a short animation depicting how sugar-sweetened beverages and an unhealthy diet impact a typical Caribbean family, has been shortlisted for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Health for All Film Festival.
The WHO Health for All Film Festival is held annually to demonstrate how creative media is being mobilised for health promotion and education. The festival invites submissions from patients, health workers, health activists, NGOs, public institutions and professional filmmakers of short films on a wide range of health-related topics, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, disability, and communicable diseases as well as environmental and social determinants of health, such as gender-based violence, road safety and pollution.
Meet the Willbuts was submitted by Lake Health and Wellbeing, a public health NGO in St. Kitts and Nevis. The animation was shortlisted under the very short film category for conveying messages about NCDs and the need for families to improve their diets for better health outcomes. Lake Health and Wellbeing’s submission was recognised out of over 1000 submissions from 110 countries – a major achievement that places St. Kitts and Nevis on the global stage for health promotion and education.
The winners will be announced in May; in the meantime, WHO is encouraging the public to get involved by selecting a film that they would like to champion and then commenting on its story or topic before May 10, 2022. Comments can be posted on social media using the hashtag #Film4Health or through the WHO’s YouTube playlists available on the festival’s website. Some comments from the public will be featured during the Health for All Film Festival’s virtual awards ceremony in mid-May.
Meet the Willbuts was produced as part of Lake Health and Wellbeing’s You’re Sweet Enough campaign which aims to tackle the high rate of non-communicable diseases locally and regionally by encouraging the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, the campaign focuses on encouraging the public to reduce their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and consume water instead.
Dr Fanta Waterman, a board member of Lake Health and Wellbeing, said:
“With campaigns like You’re Sweet Enough, Lake Health and Wellbeing continuously demonstrates its commitment to making health literacy accessible, actionable and fun for all. This will only help to improve the health outcomes of people living in this region – and now, globally! I am so proud to be affiliated with this organisation and am glad many others will get to see this animation about how to maintain one’s health.”
Maisha Hutton, Executive Director of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, stated that:
“We’re extremely delighted that one of our civil society members has been shortlisted for the WHO Health for All Film Festival. This highlights that civil society can occupy the tech-innovation space to reach the public with important public health messages. This is a major achievement for the Caribbean and showcases the talent and creativity that exists in our region.”
Finally, one of Lake Health and Wellbeing’s main project partners, the Ministry of Health, said:
“The Ministry of Health is grateful for the partnership cultivated with Lake Health and Wellbeing as one of the leading organisations dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our local, regional and now global community. The You’re Sweet Enough campaign has generated conversations regarding healthy drinking and the importance of consuming adequate water. As a civil society organisation, their aim is to contribute to the improvement of public health. Therefore, their positive influence is having a profound impact on the healthy decisions made by members of our society.”
