Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 14, 2021 (SKNIS): On January 14, the Ministry of Health engaged in a sensitization meeting of the Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Metabolic Diseases.
According to information from the Minister of Health, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, as part of the ministry’s mandate to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with NCDs, it continues to strengthen all areas of data collection and controls to decrease NCDs.
She said that the outputs expected include to 1) Assist in planning effective integrated care strategies and practices on prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases; 2) strengthen the care capacity for metabolic chronic diseases at medical institutions and; 3) enhance the self-management ability of community residents for metabolic syndrome.
In attendance at the meeting were the Minister of Health, the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Delores Stapleton-Harris; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws; Ms. Kerry Tuckett, Director of Institutional Nursing Services; Mrs. Sandra Lestrade Caines, Assistant Director of Institutional Nursing Services; Dr. Keisha Liddie, Director of Community Health Services; Davida Irish, Coordinator of Community Nursing Services; Mrs. Rhonda Lowry-Robinson, Deputy Coordinator of Community Nursing Services; Dr. Bichara Sahely, Medical Internist; Dr. Dwayne Archibald, Medical Officer at JNF General Hospital; Dr. Marissa Carty, NCD Coordinator of Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health; Mrs. Latoya Duncan, Nutrition Surveillance Officer in the Ministry of Health; William Chen, Project Manager; and Novelia Rawlins-Nwosu, Project Coordinator.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 24, 2020 (MMS-SKN) — Prime Minister, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, is once again inviting all health-conscious walk enthusiasts to join him on Saturday September 26 for the latest edition of Prime Minister’s Health Walk which will be held under the umbrella of SKN Moves.
Coming hot on the heels of the last Prime Minister’s Health Walk held on Saturday August 29 and the Caribbean Wellness Day Walk held on Saturday September 12, the walk which takes the traditional route Bellevue Village to Ottley’s Village is bound to attract many participants who are eager to have the opportunity of not only walking alongside the Prime Minister but of also chatting with him.
“These two most recent health walks had large turnouts as people took the opportunity to come out after a prolonged period of lockdown,” pointed out Prime Minister Harris. “More and more people now appreciate the health benefits of such exercises, and I am inviting all who can make it to join me this Saturday September 26 starting from Bellevue at 5:30 am.”
By participating in the walks, residents of the Federation have been benefitting from the personal efforts of Prime Minister Harris who is also CARICOM’s lead spokesman on human resources, health and HIV matters, as he has ensured that the message he delivers at the regional level is fully embraced at home. The health walks help him to accomplish that goal.
“The fight against NCDs will only be won if a collective approach is taken to make it a habit for persons to take part in regular physical activities, as they are critical for the success of the fight,” Prime Minister Harris had declared after the successful Caribbean Wellness Day Walk.
Prime Minister Harris, who had also applauded corporate entities that had encouraged their employees to take part in the walks, noted: “The more people we have involved engaging in any form of physical activity, be it walking, running, swimming or biking will result to their wellness.”
Regular Prime Minister’s Health Walk participants will be too glad to welcome other walk enthusiasts and are thankful for the expanded involvement in the exercises by the Ministry of Health under the SKN Moves umbrella noting that Minister of Health the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett was a regular Prime Minister’s Health Walks participant long before she became the minister.
But most the most anticipated participation is that of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris, and the Director of Community Health Services, Dr Keisha Liddie, who after the highly successful SKN Moves’ Let’s Socacise event promised that they will join Dr Harris on the Saturday September 26 Prime Minister’s Health Walk.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, September 20, 2020 (MMS-SKN) — The highly successful SKN Moves-executed Caribbean Wellness Week activities came to an end on Friday September 18 with a Let’s Socacise event held under the sub-theme ‘Stronger Together’ at the Flow grounds along Wellington Road in Needsmust Estate, Basseterre.
“Let’s Socacise is one of the events that have been held for Caribbean Wellness Week from the 12th to the 18th September,” said Dr Delores Stapleton-Harris, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, who was among the nearly 70 participants.
There were three main activities observed during the week, the Caribbean Wellness Walk held on Saturday September 12, National Fruits Day held on Tuesday September 15, and on Friday September 18 were Sneaker Day with the collaborative Let’s Socacise events.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the whole intention of the events was basically to get people to move, to change their behaviour, to modify their lifestyle, to increase physical exercises, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and to have regular health checks, in the Ministry’s efforts to reduce chronic diseases in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“There is a high percentage of morbidity and mortality in St. Kitts and Nevis related to non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney diseases and so on, and so we – the Ministry of Health – are on the quest to the reduce the burden of this scourge and so here we are engaging in this exercise in an effort to reduce such diseases,” said Dr Stapleton-Harris.
She added: “As well I should say this movement is part of the SKN Moves promoting the same three behaviours, healthy lifestyles with an increased physical activity, regular health checks, and of course intake of vegetables and fruits.”
Let’s Socacise, which was sponsored by the Sports Center Group of Companies Limited, was coordinated by fitness guru Mr Elston Nisbett who was ably assisted in terms of music coordination by ‘Hype-Man’ Mr Jason ‘Pinocchio’ Mitchum. Of the nearly 70 participants, only about five were male who included veteran Medical Practitioner Dr Leroy Richardson.
“The call was made for everyone – all genders…”, commented Dr Keisha Liddie, Director, Community Health Services, who was also a participant, when asked why very few men took part. “Most men would say that they can’t exercise on the spot – they want to move, they want to run, and they want to be in a gym and lift weights. So we do not expect to see a high number of men participating in Socacise, but we do know as we continue each year, we hope to see more men participating in this particular exercise.”
Also present from Ministry of Health were Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Programme Coordinator, Dr Marissa Carty, and Administrative Assistant, Ms Mercia Bassue.
“The Caribbean Wellness week this year has shown some improvement – I think more and more persons are participating in our events,” observed Dr Keisha Liddie. “They are recognising that we are going forward with this momentum and they have joined in. I am also happy to see the Prime Minister shows his support and attends all these walks and events and participates in full, so he does the entire walk. He did so on Saturday September 12 and we are happy to see that we have that support from the top showing example.”
The two, Permanent Secretary Dr Delores Stapleton Harris, and Director, Community Health Services, Dr Keisha Liddie, promised to join Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris on his next Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk, from Bellevue to Ottley’s, which will be held on Saturday September 26.
In the meantime, Mr Gopal Ashvani, General Manager, Sports Center Group of Companies Limited, sponsors of the event, said it was their first time experience which he described as being very successful and thanked coordinators Mr Elston Nisbett and Mr Jason ‘Pinocchio’ Mitchum “who did a very good job, and I say thank you to the Ministry of Health for their support. It is encouraging me to do this again whenever we get a chance.”
Three lucky participants, whose names were randomly picked out of a large transparent container, received prizes. First prize of EC$500 went to Ms Jeune Guishard-Pine, second prize of EC$300 went to Ms Keriise Manchester, and the third prize, a fruit basket, was won by a lady who only provided her first name, Shirley.
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