Plan to eliminate industrially-produced trans fat from Barbados’ food supply

Authorities are seeking to ensure that policies are in place to remove industrially-produced trans fats from the nation’s food supply by December 2024.

Minister of Health Dr The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott made that disclosure as the SIDS Ministerial Conference on NCDs and Mental Health got underway this morning at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

He mentioned the effort as Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Dr Jarbas Barbosa told participants that countries remain vulnerable to the triple threat of NCDs, mental health and climate change. He pledged PAHO’s commitment to supporting the accelerated implementation of health interventions.

“NCDs and mental health must be mainstreamed within the primary health care system. This means increasing access to screening, diagnosis and treatment for NCDs and mental health. It means reorienting our health systems towards community-based care, and it means reducing the geographic, financial, and knowledge barriers to ensuring more people can appropriately manage their chronic conditions,” he said. (JB)