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Monday 14 SepteMber 2020

Caribbean Wellness Day 2020 Statement

ment Goal (SDG) 3.4 ‘to Caribbean Wellness Day:
reduce, by 2030, prema- • CARPHA Mental Health
ture mortality from non- information
communicable diseases by • Caribbean Wellness
one third, through preven- Day
tion and treatment and the • Stronger Together
promotion of mental health Campaign
and well-being’.5
1 Retrieved from web-
We must work together in site: https://www.who.int/
order to prevent and con- whr/2001/media_centre/
trol mental disorders and press_release/en/
other NCDs. No one person, 2 Care for Mental Health
organisation or govern- Conditions in Jamaica:
ment can do this alone. All The Case for Investment.
members of society need Evaluating the Return on
to play their role. A ‘whole Investment of Scaling Up
of society approach’ is es- Treatment for Depression,
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD diseases including mental sential for success. Anxiety, and Psychosis.
& TOBAGO — This year, the The current COVID-19 pan- ill health. We encourage Washington, D.C.: UNIATF,
people of the Caribbean demic is also affecting dif- everyone to engage in CARPHA will continue UNDP and PAHO; 2019.
Region will celebrate 12 ferent people in different healthy lifestyles like being to work closely with the
years since the 2007 land- ways, and is having a major physical active, engag- Caribbean Community 3Retrieved from web-
mark summit, ‘Declara- impact on persons’ mental ing in healthy eating; if you (CARICOM), Institutions of site: https://www.who.int/
tion of Port of Spain: Unit- health and well-being in- smoke, please quit, reduce the Community, Member teams/mental-health-and-
ing to Stop the Epidemic of cluding those persons who consumption of alcohol to States and its public health substance-use/covid-19
Chronic Non-communica- have existing mental ill- the recommended safe partners to create the
ble Diseases’ under a new nesses.3 Persons with men- quantities, get annual needed alliances between 4 Care for Mental Health
theme, ‘Power Through Col- tal disorders often face health checks, improve governments, academia, Conditions in Jamaica:
lective Action’ with the sub stigma and discrimination, your personal relationships civil society and others, to The Case for Investment.
theme - “Stronger Together limitation of human rights, with family and friends and help to shape regional and Evaluating the Return on
2020” . This year CARPHA is abuse, neglect and inad- take care of your mental country-level policy and Investment of Scaling Up
pleased to align the Carib- equate access to com- health. During the pan- programmes that address Treatment for Depression,
bean Wellness Day (CWD) munity-based treatment, demic be calm, be safe, the issues of mental health Anxiety, and Psychosis.
sub theme with the Pan care and support services. and seek help if unable to disorders and to promote Washington, D.C.: UNIATF,
American Health Organiza- Addressing stigma and dis- cope. mental wellbeing. UNDP and PAHO; 2019.
tion (PAHO) mental health crimination are important
awareness campaign. strategies in programmes As a Caribbean Region let There is power through col- 5 United Nations Sustain-
for mental health disorders. us recommit to the 2007 lective action and each able Development Goals.
Worldwide, mental disor- ‘Declaration of Port of and every one of us can Retrieved from website:
ders are now recognised as Investing in interventions Spain: Uniting to Stop the play a significant role in this https://www.un.org/sus-
the 5th major non-commu- designed to improve Epidemic of Chronic Non- response. tainabledevelopment/
nicable disease and a ma- health can help reduce communicable Diseases’ health/q
jor public health threat to the burden of these illness- and Sustainable Develop- For more information about
economic development in es. There are cost-effective
the 21st century. According interventions that Carib-
to the World Health Organi- bean countries can imple-
zation one in four persons ment to prevent and con-
globally will be affected by trol mental illnesses. Scaled
a mental disorder or neu- up treatment for mental
rological disorder in their health disorders are likely to
lifetime and 450 million are increase healthy life years,
affected by these disor- thus avoiding significant
ders, such as, depression, economic losses and so-
anxiety disorders, bipolar cial costs. A recent study
disorder, schizophrenia, in Jamaica reported that
dementia and substance by scaling up treatment
(e.g. alcohol, nicotine) de- for mental health disorders
pendency.1 over 15 years, for every
$1 Jamaican dollar spent
In the Caribbean, mental there is a $4.2 Jamaican
health disorders are a lead- dollar return on investment.
ing cause of disability and 4
a major contributor to of
the burden of non-com- On Saturday 12th Septem-
municable diseases (NCDs) ber 2020, countries across
in the Caribbean region. the Region celebrated Ca-
In Jamaica the burden of ribbean Wellness Day. The
mental illness is predicted annual event is geared at
to cause US$2.76 billion in increasing awareness and
lost economic output from promoting activities to ad-
2015-2030.2 dress non-communicable