A one day conference on the Implementation of the Non Communicable Disease Prevention Strategy will be held next week.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is leading the conference which will showcase the work of the various sectors and will include updates regarding tobacco control, Long-term Athlete Development and Physical Literacy, the Healthy Lifestyle School Intervention Programme and work surrounding the built environment in Road Town.

Coordinator for Health Promotion Services and National Focal Point for NCDs, Ms. Ivy George said the purpose of the meeting is to bring together the BVI Health and Wellness Advisory Council, the Interdepartmental Technical Working Group and its Subcommittees and various stakeholders for the purpose of accelerating the implementation of the Strategy.

Ms. George said, “This meeting is important because the programme needs visibility and support for various projects and policies that are being put forward by the various sectors. We hope to make our stakeholders and the public aware of what government is doing to improve health and wellbeing of the population across the life cycle.”

The Coordinator said these long term programmes and policies will eventually lead to the reduction in major chronic non-communicable diseases that are presently plaguing our population.

According to the ministry, the health and well-being of a population requires that the health sector works in collaboration with other sectors who must in turn, recognise their role in building a healthy community. 

The ministry states that complex interaction of social, environmental and economic determinants of health requires that all sectors take health into account in order to create long lasting improvements in the health status of the population.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the environment are managed efficiently to enable all persons in the BVI to attain and maintain optimal health and well-being.