Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran met this week with regional health officers and other stakeholders to draft the 2013-2020 health strategy titled ‘Health Vision 2020’ which will see lifestyle diseases being the major focus.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release this second biennial meeting follows closely on the heels of a consultation convened with top officials in the health sector and supporting agencies. In his address Ramsaran, said the strategy will utilise the skills available across different sectors to meet its goals. It will tap into strategies used in the education and local government ministries, for example the Ministry of Education’s Canteen Policy which was crafted with input from the health ministry.
Ramsaran told the meeting that the impact of Non-Communicable Diseases, the so-called lifestyle diseases such as heart ailments, hypertension and diabetes, on development is recognised globally. He recalled that a few years ago HIV/AIDS was the