“All hands-on deck to promote public health” – Minister Cummings

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, April 26, 2018

“The successful implementation of any public health programme depends on the level of partnership and involvement of key stakeholders.”

This is according to Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Karen Cummings, who was at the time speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Guyana Business Coalition on Health Awareness (GBCHA).

“We need all hands-on deck. I want to challenge you to be ambassadors of health awareness. Do your part to raise the profile of health promotion in your respective organisations, constituents and communities,” Minister Cummings charged the stakeholders.

Minister Cummings said that successful health promotion must involve a strategic implementation of “multidisciplinary, multidimensional, intersectoral approaches.”

The Minister further advised that it must be done in a coordinated manner to prevent the duplication of efforts. She commended the work done by GBCHA and encouraged greater participation through the involvement of more stakeholders.

While the Public Health Ministry already places emphasis on raising awareness on HIV/AIDS, the minister acknowledged that more needs to be done to encourage behavioural change and healthy lifestyles and reduce Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

The Ministry of Public Health over the year has seen considerable results in numerous health education and health promotion activities under the HIV/AIDS umbrella.

The GBCHA is celebrating its 10^th anniversary under the theme “Our Health, Our Business”. Its mandate to include issues such as mental health in keeping with its overall aim to foster positive lifestyle choices among its members and in the wider society.

 

By: Crystal Stoll