By Robert Andre Emmanuel
In a move to amplify youth voices in regional health policy, Charity Dublin has been elected to serve on the board of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) for the next two years.
Dublin, a young public health nutritionist in Antigua and Barbuda, brings a wealth of experience and passion to her new role.
“I’m extremely excited,” Dublin said in an interview with Observer media, noting that “health, nutrition, and public health policy are fields I’m especially passionate about. I see this as an opportunity for growth and to improve my capacity.”
The HCC was established in 2008 following the historic Port of Spain Declaration of Heads of Government of Caricom on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in 2007.
Currently, it is the only Caribbean NCD alliance of more than 100 health and non-health civil society organisations. Its vision is “the reduction of death and disability from chronic diseases among people in the Caribbean”.
Dublin’s appointment also means that this is the first time that the Antigua and Barbuda Diabetes Association (ABDA) will be represented on HCC’s Board of Directors.
Her appointment comes as the new HCC President, Dr Kenneth Connell, tells Barbadian media that he has an ambitious strategy to combat the “deadly triad” of cardiovascular disease, climate change and “commercial determinants of health” which threaten the Caribbean region.
Dublin has been involved in the HCC’s youth arm, Healthy Caribbean Youth, since 2020 and has held key roles in organisations such as the Nutritionists and Dietitians of Antigua and Barbuda, Vice-President of the ABDA, and the Caribbean Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians.
“I’m really excited to sit on the board, just to ensure that youth voices are being heard, because a lot of the work that the Healthy Caribbean Coalition does is grounded in childhood obesity, school nutrition policies and other policies that impact young people, and so to be on the board as one of the voices representing the youth I think is something that is quite incredible,” Dublin remarked.
She also underscored the importance of regional collaboration in addressing health challenges, and that working in small Caribbean countries can sometimes feel isolating, but organisations like HCC allow professionals to learn from each other’s experiences and advocate collectively.
“We’re able to find strength in numbers,” she said, citing examples such as Barbados’ recent implementation of a school nutrition policy and the regional push for octagonal front-of-package nutrition warning labels.
She expressed enthusiasm for bringing lessons learned from other Caribbean countries back to her home nation.
“I’m excited to work towards these policies. We’ve had some policy wins in various countries, and I’m eager to see public health policies implemented in Antigua and Barbuda,” Dublin stated.
She added that some of her goals include ensuring access to healthy, nutritious foods, creating spaces for physical activity, and fostering environments that support healthy choices for all residents of Antigua and Barbuda.
