THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would be celebrating ‘Wellness Day’ on September 13 and in honour of the occasion Guyana will host Dominican Director of the Pan American Health Organisation Carissa Etienne on a visit here from September 10 to 13.

This is according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon yesterday at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President in Georgetown.

During her stay, Dr Etienne will be participating in a series of health sector activities, principal among which would be the launching of the Presidential Commission on Non-communicable Diseases and the Wellness Warriors Club.
Both activities would take place at the Guyana International Convention Center, Dr Luncheon informed.
“Non-communicable diseases continue to attract international health attention and is of particular interest to developing third world countries because of its rising incidents and prevalence that is quickly approximating, that which occurs in the developed world even though in terms of socio-economic indicators the developing countries lag behind the first world.
The Wellness Warriors reaches out to young Guyanese who are involved in peer activities in promoting surveillance and prevention of illnesses particularly non-communicable diseases,” Dr Luncheon said.

Dr Etienne would also participate in a symposium on international public health issues and make courtesy calls on President Donald Ramotar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and other officials.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)