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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, July 17, 2017 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — When Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris stood in the National Assembly on Tuesday July 11 to give a report on his presentation at the 38^th Regular Meeting of Conference of Heads of Government held recently in Grenada, he advised that he had shared the findings of a 2016 study of the Economic Dimensions of NCDs in Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Dr Harris who serves as CARICOM’s lead spokesperson on human resources, health and HIV matters told the House of Assembly that in order to redeem the times, there are four urgent actions that must be taken now to curb the increasing threat to the well-being of the region’s citizens.

 

He listed the actions as, 1: Reducing the incidence and prevalence of unhealthy diets, 2: Reducing the incidence and prevalence of physical inactivity, 3: Reducing tobacco use, and 4: reducing the harmful use of alcohol and drugs.

 

When he as the National Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) met with the members of the National Executive of the party on Thursday July 13 at the Marriott Resort in St. Kitts for an informal meeting, he updated them on the same subject but went further to challenge them to reduce incidences of physical inactivity.

 

“Some of you have not been on any of the health walks,” Dr Harris challenged members of his National Executive after he reminded them of the monthly health walks that he organises. “You all have to try and come. It is once a month but we want people to do it more often; we want to send the message that physical activity in all shapes and forms can lead to immense health benefits for the individual.”

 

The health walks, initially known as Dr Harris Constituency Number Seven Health Walk, have now been rebranded as the Peoples Labour Party/Prime Minister’s Health Walk. They have gathered force over the time and are now in their tenth year having started in 2007.  Initially and up to until June this year, the walks were always held between Belle Vue to Ottley’s Village in Constituency Number Seven which is represented by the Prime Minister in the National Assembly.

 

Due to the walk’s recent popularity where participants came from all parts of the island, it was decided that the exercise should feature other constituencies. For the first time in its ten-year history, the walk which was held on Saturday July 1 started from St. Peter’s Community Centre in Constituency Number Eight. It ended in Constituency Number One at Frigate Bay, having traversed Constituency Number Two along the way.

 

The PLP Executive at their meeting at the Marriott on Thursday July 13, after they were challenged by the Prime Minister, took the opportunity to work out the route for the next PLP/PM’s Health Walk which will start from outside the Fire Station in Basseterre at 5:00 am in the morning onSaturday July 29.

 

From the Fire Station, the participants who are expected to come from across the entire island will walk westwards along Pond Road, then turn south into West Independence Street, on to Bay Road and walk westwards towards the War Memorial.

 

After the War Memorial they will then continue westwards on to Wilkin Street and on joining Cardin Avenue they will walk northwards and join Cayon Street and walk westwards on to the Island Main Road. The walk will end at the Bronte Welsh Primary School in Constituency Number Three.

 

The July 29 PLP/PM Health Walk will cover Constituencies Number One, Two, and Three. All the three PLP Branch Chairpersons in those constituencies are elated by this development.

 

Senator the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett of Constituency Number Three, who is also the PLP Deputy National Political Leader, is delighted that the walk will be touching Constituency Number Three for the first time.

 

“As usual we are looking forward to full participation at our health walk on the 29^th of July,” said Hon Byron-Nisbett, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. “We are hoping that persons would be able to wake up and be ready to participate at 5 o’clock in the morning. I can guarantee that at the end of it you will feel refreshed for the rest of the day and ready to face the day.”

 

According to the PLP Deputy National Political Leader, they are looking forward to healthy individuals, healthy communities, and healthy families, and observed that the walk would redound to being a way of ensuring that they are able to build upon those attributes.

 

She further observed that over the years the health walk had only been held in Constituency Number Seven, and the Prime Minister in his compassion offered to take the health message to other constituencies after more and more people had started offering themselves to travel to Number Seven to accompany him in the monthly health walks.

 

“The last health walk started in Constituency Number Eight, walking through Two and ending in One,” noted Hon Byron-Nisbett. “This time around we are going in reverse order, but we are going from One through Two ending in Three. And of course Constituency Three is always happy and willing to be able to welcome all the other constituencies and everyone else who are willing and able to come out to the walk, to be a part of the walk.”

 

Senator the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett concluded: “We guarantee that just like the other walks before us, at the end of this walk we will also have a hearty breakfast waiting for everyone so as to encourage even more persons to come out and participate. We do intend in Number Three to ensure we make the breakfast healthier and bigger. We are therefore looking forward to full participation.”