Heads of State and Government gathered at the United Nations on 25th September, 2025, adopting a fresh Political Declaration to accelerate global efforts against noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health conditions. At the heart of these discussions, the Permanent Mission of St. Kitts and Nevis played a pivotal role, co-hosting a High-Level Event with India, Norway, and UNICEF to underline the urgency of placing children and young people at the centre of the NCD and mental health agenda. This focus on youth was not only timely but also critical, as leaders committed to a new framework for global NCD prevention and control towards 2030 and beyond.
UNICEF’s “Breaking the Silence: Centering Children and Young People at the Heart of the NCD and Mental Health Agenda” emphasised three priorities: amplifying children’s voices in shaping UN commitments, mobilising political will and sustainable financing to address the rising burden of NCDs among youth, and promoting integrated solutions linking physical and mental health with community-based care and environmental action.
Foreign Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, representing St. Kitts and Nevis, highlighted the Caribbean’s collaborative strategies. Through the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), regional nations pool resources to purchase pharmaceuticals in bulk, significantly reducing medicine costs. At a prevention level, the CARICOM-led initiative “Caribbean Moves” seeks to combat sedentary lifestyles with exercise, running, and stretching campaigns, aiming to reduce the incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease across the region.
Dr. Douglas also spotlighted local progress under the “SKN Moves” programme. This initiative promotes health through 10k walks, runs, and hikes, while embedding sport in education by assigning Department of Sports coaches to every school, including private institutions. “They coach every sport — athletics, football, basketball, netball, tennis, just to name a few. They encourage participation by the skilled and the otherwise skilled to ensure that all students get time to exercise while at school,” he said. He further noted that the government has long provided free healthcare measures for children, including vaccination schedules, while working steadily toward implementing Universal Health Insurance to broaden access to care.
The World Health Organization, ahead of the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, reinforced that the global NCD burden is no longer a challenge for health systems alone. The call now is for stronger whole-of-government and whole-of-society collaboration to reshape health systems, secure sustainable financing, and confront the socio-economic and environmental drivers of health inequities. For St. Kitts and Nevis, its leadership in promoting youth inclusion signals a commitment not only to global health goals but to safeguarding the next generation’s wellbeing.
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