The Honourable Sir Molwyn Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving preventative healthcare across the Caribbean during two major training initiatives hosted in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) at the Villa Community Centre over the past two weeks.
Speaking at the Training on the Monitoring of Growth and Development of Infants and Young Children in CARPHA Member States, Minister Joseph underscored the importance of early childhood growth monitoring in combating the rising rates of stunting, wasting, and childhood obesity across the region.
“The health and wellbeing of our youngest citizens are the foundation upon which the future of our Caribbean nations rest,” the Minister stated. “Growth monitoring is not a routine task — it is a life-saving, life-shaping practice. With the right training, equipment, and partnerships, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow strong, healthy, and full of promise.”
This workshop, which supports the application of the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards, aims to strengthen the capacity of CARPHA Member States to collect, analyze, and act on child nutrition data to inform policy and improve health outcomes.
In a related engagement, Minister Joseph delivered the keynote address at the Diabetes Management Training Workshop, emphasizing the urgent need for standardised, evidence-based care for individuals living with diabetes, a leading cause of death and disability in the Caribbean.
“This is not just a training workshop—it is a regional call to action,” said the Minister. “Diabetes is largely preventable and manageable with the right tools, and this initiative empowers our healthcare professionals to deliver consistent, high-quality care.”
The workshop introduced the CARPHA Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes in Primary Care and the new Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit, both of which are intended to support front-line health workers and standardize care throughout the region.
“These efforts are about saving lives,” the Minister noted. “Our Ministry is fully committed to integrating these standards into national health systems and empowering healthcare professionals to act confidently and compassionately.”
Both training initiatives are part of a broader strategy to strengthen public health capacities in the Caribbean under a Subsidiary Agreement between CARPHA and PAHO.
Minister Joseph extended his gratitude to CARPHA, PAHO, and all healthcare workers involved, encouraging participants to continue being “agents of change” in their communities.
“We are building a healthier Caribbean together—child by child, patient by patient, and system by system.”