THE Dr. Moreen Bishop-Joseph and Kenrick Clensford Bishop Centre for innovative nutrition, diabetes education and health and wellness was commissioned at Lot 90, Pearl, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on Saturday.

At the launch of the centre, CEO of the facility, Dr. Bishop-Joseph, said her team is committed to creating a health-conscious environment by building health awareness infrastructure through nutritional education.

According to the doctor, diabetes has become a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Diabetes is a threat to the health and well-being of citizens in Guyana and has placed enormous burden on the public healthcare system.

“One of the biggest challenges for the increase in diabetes is unhealthy lifestyle which includes poor diets, sedentary habits, smoking and increased alcohol intake,” said Dr. Bishop-Joseph.

In that regard, the centre, which is dedicated to Kenrick (Uncle Ken), aims to promote healthy lifestyles through innovative education programmes, research and teaching initiatives, and community outreach projects.

Dr. Bishop-Joseph believes that those initiatives will lead to the reduction and, if possible, elimination of diabetes locally.

Based on nutrition and diabetes education, health awareness and exercise strategies, the centre is designed to promote prevention and intervention programmes through innovative collaborations and partnerships throughout Guyana and beyond.
The goal of the centre is to form national and international partnerships and collaborations with academic institutions, government agencies,food and beverage industries, faith-based and healthcare organisations.

Those partnerships will be created in order to produce measureable outcomes in reducing critical health issues in Guyana.

The centre will also promote the translation of research findings into prevention and intervention health and nutrition education outreach programmes, lend data and knowledge on successful practices to similar global communities, and use television, social media and radio to promote nutrition education and healthy lifestyle habits.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, who was present at the launch of the centre, congratulated Dr. Bishop-Joseph for taking a step to open the centre.

She said Diabetes remains a concern for the country but, with interventions like Dr. Bishop-Joseph’s, Minister Lawrence believes that the disease can be tackled.