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Saint Lucia
– As part of a series of activities in observance of Caribbean Wellness Day and a call for action to confront non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs recently held its 3rd annual Caribbean Wellness Day walk. The walk was organized with the aim of setting the tone for the use of physical activity as a step towards a healthier lifestyle.
The walk got underway at the George Odlum Stadium with participants walking through the community of La Ressource and the town of Vieux-Fort and ending at Sandy Beach.
Senior Medical Officer for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health Dr. Shana Cyr-Philbert highlighted the need to address the preventable risk factors associated with the issue of NCDs in the country.
“We are hoping that this annual walk continues to raise awareness of the importance of simple things like physical activity and especially walking. It is just a first step in many other things in making those healthy lifestyle choices and of course, Caribbean Wellness Day is that point in time where we remind persons of the importance of making those healthy lifestyle choices for better health. We are hoping that this walk is just the beginning of persons throughout the year until next September to continue engaging in physical activity, healthy eating, stress management, drinking water and all of those good things that help us control and prevent non-communicable diseases.”
The Ministry of Health recognized the need to enhance collaboration for NCD prevention and control in Saint Lucia and therefore partnered with “Saint Lucia Wake Up and Run,” Taiwan ICDF Chronic Metabolic Disease Project and other agencies to ensure increased participation of individuals in physical activity.
Founder of Saint Lucia Wake Up and Run, Ranny Harris commended the initiative and spoke on the need to promote regular physical activity as a foundation for good health.
“I want to encourage people to keep on moving: do things to actually keep you healthy, for example, you walk, run, play football, get involved in some activity, you do the gym, swimming, anything to keep you moving, keep your blood flow on a level, I encourage you to do so. It is very important because if you are not healthy, you can’t work; if you have to work to make money, then you need to be healthy. So, that is why we always say “health is wealth:” without health you can’t accumulate wealth and we use that line a lot, “health is wealth.” I always tell people, “don’t wait when it is too late, the time is now.”
A participant of the walk, who is from the community of Soufriere, Leroy Edward encouraged Saint Lucians to participate and get involved in physical activity as a means of improving their overall health and wellness.
The Ministry of Health is committed to creating an environment that fosters regular physical activity with the aim of curbing non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
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