KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Heart Foundation of Jamaica has launched its ‘Out of Our Schools’ Mass Media Campaign, in support of Phase 1 of the School Nutrition Policy.

The policy is spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Youth.

Launched Thursday, February 9 at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston, the campaign is to target stakeholders such as students, parents, school administrators, vendors and manufacturers on the importance of embracing healthier food options for children.

According to the foundation, 23.3 per cent of Jamaican students aged 13 to 17 years are overweight, while 80 per cent of all deaths in Jamaica are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, who delivered the keynote address, emphasised that the campaign is not focused on restriction, but on proper nutrition.

He added that this is necessary as the majority of older patients receiving hospital care are suffering from NCDs, which can be linked to their lifestyles in childhood.

“Our children still have hope of a better, fulsome, and productive life. We almost, as adults, have a duty, a burden, a responsibility to give them the best possible chance to fulfil that lifelong experience,” he said.

He further pointed out that the policy is “one of the most fundamental pieces of legislation around health and wellness, and if we get it right, we’re going to start a trend for the better”.

Executive Director of the Foundation, Deborah Chen, underscored that “unhealthy diets not only impact the learning ability of our children, [but] also affect their psychosocial development”.

“Unhealthy lifestyle practices developed in children for the most part continue to adulthood. The time to act is now,” she argued.

United Nations Children Fund (Acting) Country Representative, Vicente Teran, said the fund is also in support of the policy’s implementation.

“More than three-quarters of our students get their lunch from school canteens, tuck shops or vendors in the school food environment. The food environment in and around the schools, therefore, provides us with an opportunity to address these challenges,” he said.