CARICOM Nations Gear up for Caribbean Wellness Day 2023

The Caribbean Wellness Day, an initiative started by CARICOM nations, aimed at promoting a healthy way of life, will be celebrated on the 9th of September this year. While all CARICOM nations will take part in this initiative, there are subtle differences in their approaches, as is natural.

Jamaica for example has announced its intentions to begin the celebration on the 8th of September. The day begins in Kingston, Jamaica. The event begins at Knutsford Boulevard with what is being described as a Sweat Fest and ends with a healthy meal and a good night’s rest.

On Saturday, September 9th, an event is organized at UTECH. This event is a unique one as it is going to be a four-hour workout session, open to all participants.

On Sunday, September 10th, a Corporate Wellness Brunch is going to take place which is being held on an invitation only basis.

The organizers have extended invitations to anyone that is interested in taking part. They have also asked the citizens to be more aware of their health as a part of this initiative and adopt healthy habits in daily life as well.

The Barbados Government has its own program as well, which entails an open invitation to all government ministries from the Ministry of Health and Wellness. All ministries have also been asked to promote activities which enhance mental and physical wellness in the week leading up to the Caribbean Wellness Day.

Emotional wellness sessions, physical activity, healthy nutrition, spiritual wellness sessions or environmental wellness days are among the activities suggested by the Ministry of Health. They have also stated that other programs can be added depending upon the preference of any given Ministry.

The Caribbean Wellness Day is an annual event that is recognized by all CARICOM members. The member nations agree to host individual events under the umbrella of one specific theme. ‘Power Through Collective Action’ was chosen as the theme for the 2020-2024 period, with sub-themes applying every year.

The sub-theme of this year is ‘The Care We Need: At Work, At School, At Home’. With this theme and initiative, the CARICOM Secretariat is asking member states to encourage the adoption of activities within workplaces and schools to promote physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellness, and health seeking behaviors.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has also organized a workshop on ‘Emotional Wellness in the Workplace’ which will be headed by motivational speaker Derek Ward at 2:00pm on Thursday, September 7th.