Description

Authors welcome comments on this paper before 28 February 2023. Please see paper for instructions on how to send your comments.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) is a not-for-profit Caribbean regional alliance of civil society organizations (CSOs) working towards the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). HCC has led the development of this discussion paper in collaboration with a group of like- minded civil society representatives from other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) regions, and with the support of the NCD Alliance (NCDA), a global network of CSOs also dedicated to NCD prevention and control worldwide.

This discussion paper was developed as a contribution to the High-Level Technical Meeting and Ministerial Conference on NCDs and Mental Health in SIDS, which will be convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Barbados, in January and June 2023 respectively.

Seeking to enhance equity- and rights-based approaches, and pursuing the empowerment of people living with NCDs, women, youth, indigenous people, and other persons and groups in situations of vulnerability, this discussion paper identifies six priorities for action by SIDS governments in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and partners at national, regional, and global levels. The overarching priority speaks to leadership and collaboration in and among SIDS; two action priorities address critical areas of focus for SIDS, and three enabling priorities address strategies to facilitate effective action in the areas of focus. The paper provides a rationale for the selection of these priorities, and under each priority, offers recommendations and associated key asks, proposing not only which actions should be taken, but also how they might be implemented.

This discussion paper is presented and published on the Healthy Caribbean Coalition's website.