Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Health Minister calls for behavior change to tackle obesity
#Kingston, October 12, 2018 – Jamaica – Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says behaviour change is critical to reduce obesity levels and to improve lifestyle choices in the country.
“Part of the challenge that we face in combating the scourge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is that we are not as consistent as we ought to be in trying to address, not just perception but also behavioral change,” he said.
Dr. Tufton was speaking at the launch of the third phase of the obesity-prevention campaign in Jamaica, held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on October 11.
“This (change) doesn’t come overnight; this is going to require consistent effort. It is going to have to deal with objections, which you will get from time to time, and what we are aiming to do is to create, over time, a change in behavior because until we change behavior, we are not going to achieve the objectives that we have set for ourselves,” he said.
Data from the 2016/17 Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey showed that one in two Jamaicans or 54 per cent were overweight or obese. The data further revealed that women are more affected by overweight/obesity, with two-thirds of Jamaican women 15 years or older being overweight or obese. The overall weight/obesity trend for adults is 34 per cent in 2000, 51.7 per cent in 2008 and 54 per cent in 2016.
Recent findings from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (2017) show that obesity is increasing for boys and has almost doubled from 5.3 per cent to 10.3 per cent, and from 6.7 per cent to 9.9 per cent for girls. In the meantime, Dr. Tufton said the Government is taking a holistic approach to combating unhealthy lifestyle choices, particularly from the earliest age, with the introduction of several initiatives.
These include the restriction on certain types of sugary beverages come January 2019; the development of the school nutrition policy, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, which will influence what is prepared within the school system.
“We have reintroduced in the schools our sealant and fluoride programmes,” he said, adding that this is being undertaken through the Ministry’s Oral Health Programmes.
He noted, too, that the Ministry’s Jamaica Moves initiative will be introduced in schools shortly. This introduction is to be guided by a nutrition policy, a physical activity regime, as well as public education on health and wellness programmes.
Jamaica Moves is part of the National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, which covers seven main categories of diseases – cardiovascular conditions, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, sickle cell, mental health disorders and chronic renal failure.
Dr. Tufton said the third component of the campaign, which is being led by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, in collaboration with several partners, including the Ministry, is critical. The new phase of the campaign focuses on reducing children’s consumption of sugary drinks.
Entitled ‘Are Your Children Drinking Themselves Sick?, the campaign shows the negative effects of sugary drinks on physical and dental health, from childhood into adulthood, and encourages Jamaicans to reduce consumption of sugary drinks at home and at school.
Release: JIS
Contact: Chris Patterson
Photo Caption: Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), conversing with Executive Director, Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Deborah Chen (centre) and Chair, Heart Foundation of Jamaica and Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Andrene Chung, during the press launch of the third phase of the obesity-prevention campaign, at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on October 11. The event was also used to recognise World Obesity Day.
Photographer: M. Sloley
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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