PRIME Minister Bruce Golding leaves for his first official overseas engagement today to attend a one-day summit of heads of government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) on chronic non-communicable diseases in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Dr Ken Baugh, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade and Ruddy Spencer, the minister of health and the environment, will accompany the prime minister.

Derrick Smith, the security minister, will be in charge of the government in the absence of the prime minister and his deputy.

According to Jamaica House, heads of government will also meet in caucus on the margins of the summit to deal with economic and trade issues relating to the European Union, which must be realised by year-end. They will also discuss issues to be raised at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda in November.

The health summit is being held against the background of a report from the Caribbean Commission on Health which was presented at the 27th conference of the regional leaders last year. The report drew attention to the high rates of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension in the region.

In February of this year, the heads endorsed a proposal to convene the regional summit on non-communicable diseases, with a view to develop a policy to reduce the prevalence of these lifestyle diseases.