CARICOM secretariat hosts health and wellness week
– in observance of PAHO’s wellness week in the Americas, Sept. 14-21
─ partners with Presidential NCD Commission to engage staff
─ promoting healthy lifestyles
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, September 18, 2019
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is doing its bit to promote healthy lifestyles within the workplace. The Secretariat is hosting a Health and Wellness Week of activities that began on September 14 and will conclude on September 21.
The Secretariat’s theme for their Health and Wellness Week observance – Love that body: Healthy ageing starts now – is in keeping with the Caribbean theme for wellness week. The activities kicked off with a fitness walk on September 14. The participants began the exercise at the Secretariat in Turkeyen, then trekked through the neighbouring community before concluding right back at the starting point.
Chairperson of the planning committee for the week of activities, Vanessa Stephney, noted that to have all staff members involved in the activities. “We have divided them into four houses named after the four signatories of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. So, there is Burnham, Manley, Barrow and Williams. The teams will compete against each other, we have a whole week of competitions, we have cricket, football, ‘CCS feud, our version of the family feud, jigsaw puzzles, dominoes.”
Senior Registrar, internal Medicine Department, GPHC and Vice Chairperson, Presidential National Non-Communicable Diseases Commission, Dr. Grace White and commissioners of the Presidential National Non-Communicable Diseases Commission interacts with staff of CARICOM Secretariat sharing information on what they need to know about NCDs
Stephney said that health talks and checks will be facilitated for staff. This will allow them to interact with health professionals and learn more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
On September 16, Senior Registrar of Georgetown Public Hospital’s Internal Medicine and Vice Chairperson, Presidential National Non-Communicable Diseases Commission, Dr. Grace White engaged the Secretariat’s staff on what they needed to know about Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). She was accompanied by other members of the commission who also took the opportunity to highlight the commission’s role in the fight to prevent and control NCDs.
The CARICOM Secretariat’s Health and Wellness Week of activities will conclude with a Family Fun and Sports day for the staff and their families at the Camp Ayangana (GDF) Sports Complex.
“We will have different races, track and field as well as novelty events such as lime and spoon, fruit-eating and water drinking competition, so everyone can be a part of the activities. We are promoting healthy eating, physical activity resulting in healthy bodies.” Stephney said.