Belize officials say than an official blueprint of the Belize Health Sector Strategic Plan and the National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) was presented by representatives of the Ministry of Health on May 12, 2014 at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel. The plan was developed in consultation with national partners through the NCD Commission of which the Belize Cancer Society was a member.
Dr. Michael Pitts, Director of Health Services, stated, “The NCD Plan of Action – which is a part of the National Strategic Plan – calls for the prevention and control of NCDs between 2013 and 2023…The goal is that by 2023, we should reduce those by 25% and the purpose of the plan is to promote the establishment of policies and implementation actions geared towards meaningful reduction of NCDs in Belize by all the relevant stakeholders.”
Courtesy visit by HCC
Meanwhile , The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) paid a brief courtesy visit to Belize from May 7-9, 2014 to meet with Civil Society Stakeholders in a an effort to better understand the needs of our CSO membership within the context of the Belize situation.
Hosted by BCS President, Laura Tucker-Longsworth, the HCC President and Manager were taken on a whirlwind of visits which provided a comprehensive understanding of the Belize National NCD response.
During the two days the HCC were met with: The Right Honourable Prime Minister Dean O. Barrow; Dr. Sanchez, Pathologist MOH; Dr. Gerardo De Cosio, PAHO Country Representative; Dr. Francis Longsworth, CEO and Dr. Adrian Coye, DMS of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH); Dr. Michael Pitts, Director Health Services, MOH; The Belize Media including Channel 5 ‘Open Your Eyes’ Hosts and Love FM Morning Show Hosts; Dr. Natalya Castillo-Rodrigues and Ruth Jaramillo of National Health Insurance; Dr. Cynthia Terry and her staff at the Belize Family Life Association; and Anthony Castillo, Belize President of the Diabetes Association.
