New minister picks up healthy living message

The original article can be found in: Cayman News Service

CNS): The new health minister, Osbourne Bodden, made it clear that his ministry will be picking up where the previous minster left off when it comes to focusing on lifestyle issues to combat Cayman’s growing communicable disease problem. Announcing the dates for Cayman’s 4th annual Healthcare Conference, which will take place from 17 to 19 October this year, he said Caymanians were still following an unhealthy lifestyle and need to take on board the messages that the conference will deliver on prevention by following a healthy diet and enjoying regular exercise. Bodden said getting the nation healthier is a priority of his new Ministry.

“The findings of our 2012 Healthy Nation survey have thrown into sharp focus that we are still leading unhealthy lifestyles, such as continuing to smoke, eating unhealthy foods and not participating in regular exercise,” he said at a press briefing announcing the conference.

“We therefore anticipate that the Healthcare Conference will help to inform the audience about ways in which they can improve their health. Targeting wellness in the workplace, it is hoped that the conference will go a long way to improving the health and wellbeing of all employees across industries,” he added

This year, organisers have built the health conference programme around the theme: Taking Care of Business: A Shared Approach to Workplace Wellness.

“The workplace is, after all, a location in which we spend a large part of our day, so it is an excellent place to focus our energies, health-wise,” Bodden stated. “If we get Cayman leading a healthier lifestyle we hopefully cut down the prevalence of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.  This will go a long way to reducing expenditure for the private and public sector in the long term.  We also need to address the serious situation of growing obesity in our young people and we hope that this conference will also lead to corrective action in that area and ensure that employers and our schools address this matter urgently,” the new minister added.

CEO Lizzette Yearwood explained that the conference is for everyone and not just health care providers.

“Drawing on our experiences from previous conferences, as well as recent healthcare surveys that show the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Cayman, we realised that this year’s conference ought to be as inclusive of as wide a section of the public as possible,” she said. “We hope that everyone will see the relevance of the presentations and attend.”

As well as the three days of presentations, the organisers have introduced workshops that will cover the concept of ‘Info to Action’ and the chief officer in Bodden’s ministry, Jennifer Ahearn, explained what they hoped to achieve.

“These sessions will present and expand on the theme in more detail, bringing together perspectives from a broad range of individuals, including healthcare providers, general practitioners, patients, and other stakeholders, in an attempt to build a bigger picture of health issues facing people in Cayman today.  The session results will then be presented to the delegates on the final day of the conference during an overview session,” she said.

The conference is free to attend and open to the public. Registration is mandatory and will begin Tuesday 2 July through the conference website.For more updates on speakers, sponsors and the programme check the conference website or the Facebook page.

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