Speech at the launch of Caribbean Wellness Week 2022 by Yeşim Oruç, UN Resident Coordinator

Thank you Chairperson, Mr. Michael Gouveia.

Brigadier (Ret'd), the Honourable, Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health  

Dr. Ariane Mangar, Director, Disability and Rehabilitation Services

Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, Director, Family and Primary Health Care Services

Ms. Helen Royer, Director, Human Development, CARICOM

Heads and Representatives of the diplomatic corps,

Media representatives,

Special invitees, but above all Students of the noble medical professions,

Good morning.

Today we commence Guyana’s Wellness Week and celebrate Caribbean Wellness Day 2022.  This year’s theme is "Our Neighbourhood, Our Health." This theme echoes and continues the call of World Health Day: "Our Planet, Our Health.”  Both the Caribbean Wellness Day and the World Health Day themes reinforce the message that our health and well being are integrally linked to where and how we live on planet earth. Indeed, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acknowledge this interlinkage. Improvements in health outcomes are as much a factor of health sector strengthening stewarded ably by Minister Anthony here as they are of determinants in social, economic and environmental fields. That’s why a holistic and integrated approach to health and health promotion- as represented by the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda through social, economic and environmental measures – speaks directly to the topic we are speaking of today – wellness.

“The COVID19 pandemic reinforced the importance of health promotion and community for well-being.” Where we live, where our families live, where our children go to school – our neighborhoods. “…the neighborhoods in which we live are important for fostering healthy lives and creating social cohesion.” Community engagement and sustainable public policies and solutions could in turn help create health promoting neighborhoods. Therefore, I commend the organizers of this week’s Caribbean Wellness week for drawing our attention to the things we can all do to contribute to the livelihood, to the dynamism and to the strength of our neighborhoods. 

Allow me to raise one important issue in this context – and that is mental health. The stigma around mental health conditions continues to be one of the most difficult public health challenges. Although mental health conditions are very common, people living with them very often experience discrimination and are treated differently because of fear, misunderstanding, and judgment. This occurs with friends and family members and in all spheres of life - at home, school, workplace, and hospital, both in rural and urban settings – in short in our neighborhoods.  Under the leadership of WHO/PAHO, the UN system is working with the Government and people of Guyana for improved integration of mental health issues in general health interventions.   UNICEF is working with youth people supporting them with the tools they need to recover from mental health conditions. I hope we can use today’s message of Our Neighborhood, Our Health to encourage individual and collective action that is supportive to the needs of people struggling with mental health and stigma.

UN agencies, funds, and programs are also working with the Government and people of Guyana in other sectors - social protection, education, agriculture, to name a few – to develop communities, which in turn contribute to building healthy neighborhoods.

The Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda compel us to work across the economic, social and environmental sectors – and indeed the UN System in Guyana supports people and government in multiple sectors: such as education, agriculture, natural protection all of which are important avenues for promoting health and healthy choices. We encourage the Government and its partners to further put forward such intersectoral public policies. We encourage further policies and programs that help neighborhoods with essential services so that individuals and families can relax and socialize on streets that are safe from road accidents and crime; and work in green and wholesome places. 

For this agenda to be successful, we all have a part to play – whole of government has a role to play for health promotion beyond the sole remit of the Ministry of Health spanning areas such as education, agriculture, labor; and communities, individuals in every neighborhood have a role to play.  Let’s get involved in the activities of our neighborhood.   Our participation can make a big difference.

Thank you for associating the United Nations to this week’s activities – you will see outside our UN Booth with many thanks to PAHO/WHO, UNICEF, IOM, UNHCR, and UNFPA.