The prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer and heart disease is worryingly on the rise in the western hemisphere. Organisers of the fifth annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference, have therefore decided to choose CNCDs to be the focus of this year’s event to be held at The Ritz-Carlton from Thursday 20th November to Saturday 22nd of November.

At a press conference to launch the Healthcare Conference, Health Minister Osbourne Bodden, said that the organisers are planning for the conference subject matter to be broad in its reach and appeal to a wide audience.

“Chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), i.e. diseases that cannot be transferred from person to person, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health, respiratory disease and obesity, are diseases that are often preventable and the Government is encouraging people to take charge of their lives and live a healthy lifestyle to combat them. This conference will be of interest to the the medical community, the business community and the general public as well.” he said.

Over the three days the event will welcome international and local healthcare experts all sharing their knowledge with over 600 attendees.

In particular, Minister Bodden was delighted to announce the participation of Dr James Hospedales, Executive Director of CARPHA, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, who will be opening the conference on Thursday evening. Dr Hospedales will provide a global and Caribbean situational analysis of CNCDs and associated risk factors as well as highlighting some of the global and Caribbean strategies, goals and objectives to combat them.

Lizzette Yearwood, Cayman Islands Health Services Authority CEO and Chairperson of the Healthcare Conference Planning Committee, said as with previous conferences, interactive workshop sessions will be taking place on Friday.

“This year we will be introducing even more workshop sessions,” she said. “We believe these are an important enhancement to the main body of the conference because they allow delegates to become fully involved in the sessions. It is important that delegates don’t just sit and listen to a speaker, but actively ask questions, contribute and interact with others, gaining knowledge that will help improve their own health, that of their family and the wider community. The workshop sessions will offer a more detailed approach to the subject matter, bringing together perspectives from a range of individuals, including healthcare providers, general practitioners, patients, and other stakeholders.”

The conference is free to all delegates thanks to continued support from many sponsors including Tenet Healthcare as the Premium Plus sponsor.

Other Premium Sponsors include The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Tower & Dart, while other sponsors include; UnitedHealthcare International, Cleveland Clinic, Cerner, The Heart Health Centre/Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Broward Health International, Generali Worldwide, and Pinnacle Media.

There are still a range of sponsorship opportunities available for the conference. Sponsorship package details can be found on the conference website at www.healthcareconference.ky or email [email protected] for more information.

Photo Attached: (L to R) Jennifer Ahearn, Permanent Secretary and Chief Officer of the Ministry of Health, Sports, Youth & Culture; Caswell Walford, Tenet Healthcare; Hon. Osbourne Bodden, Minister of Health, Sports, Youth & Culture; Ryan Newton-Block, Tenet Healthcare; Lizzette Yearwood, HSA CEO and Chairperson of the Healthcare Conference Planning Committee.

See iNews Cayman Editorial published June 8 2014 “The Editor speaks: Mental health issues to be discussed at healthcare conference” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/the-editor-speaks-mental-health-issues-to-be-discussed-at-healthcare-conference/