NCDs, mainly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases and their four shared risk factors of tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, remain leading causes of mortality, morbidity and disability in the Caribbean. In response to this situation, there has been a growing number of global, regional and subregional mandates to tackle NCDs and their risk factors. Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have repeatedly reflected and reinforced several of these mandates and recommendations and even led the way, as early as 2007, with the Port-of-Spain Declaration: Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic NCDs (POSD). Despite the adoption of several other mandates since then, CARICOM governments still tend to lag behind in terms of implementation of policies that require regulatory action.
In this context, the use of law has an undeniably central role to play. 10 of the 16 WHO “Best Buys”, a set of very cost-effective and feasible interventions, require the effective use of law or regulations. Moreover, the tobacco control “Best Buys” are also part of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), a legally binding international public health treaty that sets out obligations on Parties to implement proven, cost-effective tobacco control measures. All Caribbean PAHO/WHO Member States are Parties to the WHO FCTC, except for Haiti. Furthermore, all Caribbean PAHO/WHO Member States, having ratified various other international treaties which recognise the right to health, are accountable at the international level for treaty compliance.
Against this background, the Subregional Workshop not only provided participants with an opportunity to become familiar with key mandates and their status of implementation across the Caribbean, but also with the best practices in the use of law to regulate and control NCDs and their risk factors. The robust agenda of the Subregional Workshop which included technical presentations with question and answer (Q&A) segments, roundtable discussions, plenary discussions and working groups also encouraged the exchange of experiences, lessons learned and challenges in tackling NCD risk factors in the Caribbean. Participants were therefore able to make connections across NCD risk factors, particularly in relation to marketing regulations and labelling requirements. The Subregional Workshop reinforced the importance of law to address NCD risk factors and illuminated for its participants the potential avenues to be explored in the use of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) to address NCDs.
Importantly, the Subregional Workshop resulted in a set of strategic actions to advance the enactment, implementation and enforcement of NCD risk factor policies through laws and regulations in the Caribbean at the country and regional levels. In paving a way forward, the Subregional Workshop also opened the doorway for continued communication, collaboration and engagement on health and law matters via agreement to establish a Caribbean Public Health Law Forum.
The Subregional Workshop Report, Summary Report and other related documents, are available for download on this page.
