OCHO RIOS, St Ann — With non-communicable diseases the major cause of preventable deaths in Jamaica, the Ministry of Health will be seeking to get youth involved in this year’s Caribbean Wellness Day to be celebrated on September 14 across Caricom nations.

The event which is celebrated every second Saturday in September, in keeping with the Port of Spain Declaration of 2007 to stop the epidemic of non communicable diseases, will include health fairs, sports and youth fora across the island.

The Ocean Village Shopping Centre in Ocho Rios, will be the location for the national event for Caribbean Wellness Day. The event will be held under the theme “Love your body. Treat your body right”.

In calling for the observance of Caribbean Wellness Day to be used to reinforce the right to a smoke-free environment, Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson said that focus will be placed on youth aged 15 to 29.

Dr Ferguson was addressing the launch of the Caribbean Wellness Day last Friday at the Rooms on the Beach hotel in Ocho Rios.

“We want to specifically focus on the youth, especially since our children are most vulnerable to tobacco use,” Dr Ferguson stated.

He pointed out that over a 10-year period, the prevalence of smoking in the 13 to 15 age group had increased from 15 per cent in 2001 to 24.6 per cent in 2010.

“We hope to have the involvement of young persons throughout the day to help us to spread the message of healthy lifestyle among their peers,” he stated.

Takese Foga, director of health promotion and education in the Ministry of Health encouraged persons to participate in activities across the island and to become more health conscious in order to reduce NCDs.

She said that next Saturday will be more than observing a day in the Health Ministry, but a partnership among other ministries and civil society to promote healthy living throughout the year.