As always it is a pleasure for me to be here in Trinidad and Tobago but even more so this evening given that it is an event dedicated to our Region’s Youth.
I must congratulate Dr. Pemberton and her Planning Committee for having the vision to organise this first Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health.
In 2001 at Nassau, our Heads of Government declared that “The Health of the Region is the Wealth of the Region”. This evening I take the liberty to amend it slightly to state that The Health and Youth of the Region are the Wealth of the Region.
I welcome the representation from across the Caribbean and I am pleased that some CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are participating in this event.
The voices and concerns of our youth must be heard and addressed as we seek to define the world in which we live today and tomorrow. Fora such as these present a suitable opportunity for discourse on issues which have a significant impact on our lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’.
This definition speaks to a holistic approach which I believe is well captured in the programme for the next three days.
A similar approach has been adopted by the CARICOM Secretariat, over the years, with respect to the development of programmes targeting our youth. These are being conducted through a multi-sectoral institutional framework for national policy, integrated planning, and action, through the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP). This Plan is a product of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) in which the youth fully participated.
The Plan focuses on six priority areas with Health and Well-being as an important goal to be achieved. It emphasises “youth access to youth-friendly, gender sensitive and culturally appropriate health information to maintain their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being”.
A key aspect of achieving and maintaining health and well-being is our lifestyle and the choices we make. The prevalence of lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes so concerned our Heads of Government that they held the historic first-ever Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) right here in…
