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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 05, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris journeyed from St. Kitts to the sister island of Nevis on Friday (October 04, 2019), where he joined his Cabinet colleague, Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Mark Brantley and other members of the Nevis Island Administration for the official launch of the SKN Moves Nevis Chapter.

The launching event took place at the Fit Wellness Grounds at Bath Plain, Charlestown, Nevis. It featured health booths with healthy food samples, as well as yoga and fitness demonstrations.

The SKN Moves initiative was launched on Friday, August 9, 2019, at Independence Square by Prime Minister Harris, who is the lead Head for Health and Human Development in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet.

SKN Moves is a national programme targeting all persons in the Federation in an attempt to encourage individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles and behaviours to attain their highest levels of wellness and productivity.  

It forms part of a wider regional initiative, Caribbean Moves – which was adopted by CARICOM leaders in 2018 to foster healthy lifestyles to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancer and diabetes.

Delivering remarks at the event, Prime Minister Harris commented on the importance of this initiative, noting that it is one of the measures employed to combat the high incidences of NCDs, which he said are the leading causes of morbidity in the Federation.

“An ounce of prevention which you get through physical activity, which you get through healthy diets, which you get through avoiding alcohol and smoking—all those preventative measures help to keep you well and ensure that you can contribute not only to your wellness and well-being but that of your family, that of your community and, of course, your country,” the prime minister stated.

Organizers are hopeful that the SKN Moves initiative will lead to a 10 percent reduction in physical inactivity in the population by 2025; a 5 percent increase in the population’s consumption of five (5) or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and a 5 percent increase in the number of persons accessing at least one medical check-up per year.

The overall goal of the national programme is to achieve a 10 percent reduction in preventable premature deaths due to NCDs by 2025.