Partnerships to promote health: transforming it through business, sport and the community

Diet-related non-communicable diseases are one of the main public health challenges in the Caribbean. To tackle them, the EU-CaN Facility: Nurturing Futures Together project, funded by the European Union, promotes partnerships between public authorities, businesses and the sports sector to encourage healthy habits.

On 6 and 7 October, Frigate Bay in Saint Kitts and Nevis hosted the conference ‘Healthy Partnerships for Action: Transforming Health through Business, Sport and the Community’, which focused on the role of business and sport in promoting healthy eating and the well-being of the population.

The first day focused on the business sector. Permanent Secretary Curtis A. Martin highlighted the importance of commitment from different sectors to protect the health of future generations. The second day addressed the potential of sport as a tool for improving community health, with a presentation by Permanent Secretary Shelisa Martin Clarke, who emphasised the need to link physical activity and nutrition.

The event combined dialogue with participatory working sessions in which attendees drew up specific proposals to promote wellbeing in the workplace, foster healthy food environments and establish lasting collaborative mechanisms between businesses, sports organisations and public authorities.

Through this initiative, Saint Kitts and Nevis is making progress in building multi-sectoral partnerships that help prevent diet-related diseases and promote healthier lifestyles for the entire population.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Health of Saint Kitts and Nevis in collaboration with the European project implemented by FIAP and the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPVA).