HCC and UWI Open Campus collaborating

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and the University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWIOC) have established a partnership aimed at contributing to chronic disease prevention and control in the Caribbean.
Yesterday, Sir Trevor Hassell, President of the HCC and Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UWI Open Campus formalised that collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was described as very important for the people of the Caribbean.
During the signing ceremony held at the Open Learning Centre, Cave Hill Campus, Sir Trevor observed that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for considerable death and disability in the Caribbean and present a tremendous economic burden.
He said that 8 out of every 10 deaths are due to NCDs and that most countries in the region expend more that 60 % of their health budgets on this group of diseases.

“All sectors of society need to contribute if what has been described as the tsunami of NCDs is to be slowed, for this group of diseases is the leading cause of slowing and in some instances the reversal of socio-economic development in the Caribbean,” he stressed.

The HCC President therefore revealed that the three (3) year programme of collaboration with the Open Campus will undertake joint implementation of programmes and projects that focus on capacity building, organization development and technical assistance.

“The special relationship now being established between the HCC and the Open Campus – a non-health section of the UWI recognises that tackling the epidemic of NCDs goes well beyond health – requiring the empowerment of people, which the Open Campus seeks to do based on its Guiding principle that the high-quality university education, research and services available at the Open Campus should be open and available to all people who wish to reach their full potential inside and outside of the Caribbean region,” he said.

Dr Longsworth recalled that for decades the UWI has been on the forefront of research and practice in the areas of detection, treatment and prevention of non-communicable diseases.

“The HCC and the UWI Open Campus are aligned in the mission of educating and informing our people in the entire CARICOM and Commonwealth Caribbean and primarily to advocate for behavioural change to reduce the incidence of NCD’s in our region which is taking a toll on our economic development,” she pointed out.

“The regional and international reach of the Open Campus through its physical presence of 44 Sites in 17 Caribbean countries will enable the message that HCC, their partners individually and collectively to penetrate at the community level”.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal further revealed that some areas of collaboration will include: Development and delivery of educational programmes focused on NCDs in consultation with NCD health and non-health NGOs; The “insertion” of NCDs into relevant current academic programmes of The UWIOC; Hosting of joint regional NCD meetings; Hosting joint UWIOC/HCC regional virtual NCD lecture series and or webinars; and Contribution of administrative support on collaborative initiatives where feasible and possible.

“This relationship seeks to ensure that the message that reduction and elimination of NCD’s is crucial to our development is sent out throughout the region and penetrates the consciousness not only of medical practitioners and related health fields but of every man, woman and child in our communities across the region”.

“We feel that as the University moves towards its new Strategic Plan for 2017-2022 which speaks to “Revitalizing Caribbean Development”, there is no better way to Re-vitalize our people than through ensuring healthy lifestyles that will enable a productive, happy and energized work force,” she said. (TL)