BARBADOS IGNORES, at its peril, the lowering clouds of chronic diseases.
This dire warning was issued last night by chancellor of the University of the West Indies Sir George Alleyne.
In delivering his lecture on the topic Craftsmen of our fate: The Social Instrument of our Craft, Sir George said there were shortcomings the country needed to address as it celebrated 50 years of independence, among them constant rather than intermittent dissemination of information.
“The mere provision of the public health infrastructure is not enough. The availability of the forms of communication – the use of social media as an instrument of social change for crafting better health cannot be left to the elects of traditional health promotion,” he said
Sir George, the former director of the Pan American Health Organisation suggested special attention be given to the education of children, because it has proven this not only changes their behaviour and that of their peers, but elders as well. (WILLCOMM)
