Roadtown, Tortola - Minister of Health and Social Development Honourable Dancia Penn OBE, QC has welcomed the overwhelming display of community support for the Territory’s celebration of the second Caribbean Wellness Day.
The day was celebrated under the theme “Love that Body” last Saturday, September 12.
Localised health and fitness activities were staged throughout the day at different locations around the Virgin Islands including Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and all of the districts on Tortola.
Honourable Penn said she is pleased with the response from the different localised communities as well as the wide range of activities that were organised. “I wish to commend the various coordinating committees for their hard work. I hope we will be able to have these committees continue to work more closely with the communities in the future,” she noted.
Highlights of the day included fitness walks in most of the districts; presentations on eating healthy, living healthy, and staying fit; physical fitness and healthy eating demonstrations; and sporting events that included a netball game in District 5 and fun day in Districts 7 and 8.
Caribbean Wellness Day is celebrated each year on the second Saturday of September. The day is held to commemorate the anniversary of the CARICOM Heads of Government Summit in September 2007, which issued the Port-of-Spain Declaration entitled “Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases.”
Objectives of the day include the launching of ongoing population-based physical activities that promote healthy living for the prevention and control of chronic non-communicable diseases. Special focus is placed on adults who are not engaged in any form of physical activity.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development aspires to provide leadership that promotes health, social wellbeing, and a safe environment as positive resources for living and sustainable development of the Virgin Islands.
British Virgin Islands News