GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Preparations are well underway by the Department of Collective Prevention Service (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, to observe Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) which will be observed on September 12 throughout the Caribbean Basin and on Sint Maarten.
The local theme that CWD 2015 will be held under is: Age Active…U 2 Can Move!”
The activities for CWD 2015 are being organized as a collaboration between the While and Yellow Cross Foundation (WYCF), the Windward Islands Physical Therapy Association (WIPTA) and CPS.
CWD takes places on the second Saturday in the month of September. It is an annual event geared at increasing awareness and promoting activities to address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which continues to severely impact the health, economy and development the Region.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries recognized the threat posed by NCDs, in The Declaration of Port of Spain. It outlined key strategies to prevent, control and reduce NCDs through the life course. This includes the need to increase physical activity in the entire population, especially in the workplace.
The Caribbean region has one of the highest rates of obesity in children and adults in the world. This can be attributed in part, to poor diets and a lack of physical activity, driven by profound changes in the way we live and play, with massive marketing of foods high in sugar, fats and salt; as well as several hours per day spent watching TV and playing video games.
