New HCC head tackles Caribbean’s ‘deadly triad’

The new boss of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has unveiled an ambitious strategy to combat the “deadly triad” of cardiovascular disease, climate change and “commercial determinants of health” which threaten the Caribbean region.

Dr Kenneth Connell, the deputy dean of recruitment and outreach in the faculty of medical sciences at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, has been appointed as the president of the HCC, a not-for-profit Caribbean non-communicable disease (NCD) alliance of over 100 health and non-health civil society organisations, whose vision is to reduce death and disability from chronic diseases among Caribbean people.

In his first address as HCC president, Dr Connell outlined a multi-pronged approach to improve public health across the Caribbean. “Small island states are now under attack from the deadly triad of cardiovascular disease, climate change, and commercial determinants of health. The HCC must now position itself to be innovative, culturally sensitive, and very responsive to the needs of our stakeholders, especially the individual citizens of our one Caribbean community,” he stated.

At the heart of Dr Connell’s plan is a push for robust school nutrition policies. These aim to instill healthy eating habits in young people, potentially stemming the rise of obesity and related NCDs. Alongside this, he proposes the introduction of octagonal front-of-package warning labels on food products, a measure that has shown promise in other parts of the world in guiding consumers towards healthier choices.

The new president, also a consultant physician at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and consultant-in-charge of the hospital’s resistant hypertension clinic, is also setting his sights on the food industry, with a particular focus on eliminating trans fatty acids from ultra-processed foods. This initiative could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease across the Caribbean.

“I am both passionate, and unconditionally committed, to advancing our region as a model health space for the world,” he said.

The insurance company Sagicor, which has had a longstanding partnership with the HCC, has welcomed the plan by the new president.

“Sagicor looks forward to future collaborations with the HCC as we seek to help our communities improve the management of chronic diseases in our region,” Paul Inniss, executive vice president of Sagicor Life Inc (Barbados), said.

(PR)