National Policy for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle in Jamaica (2004)

Summary:

This policy seeks the promotion of healthy lifestyle in the Jamaican population so as to reduce the risk of developing heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS and to reduce the incidence of violence and injury.

Description:

General overview of the National Policy for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle in Jamaica

The conceptual framework of the National Policy for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle in Jamaica is based on the creation of supportive environments. This includes the creation of healthy workplaces, healthy schools and healthy communities. Futrthermore, one of the main goals of this policy is to decrease the incidence of chronic diseases. Those are identified as “cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and cancer, which now account for 56%
of deaths annually” in the country. (page 3)

Regarding this main goal, there are specif objectives, namely (page 4):

• to prevent “chronic diseases with regard to levels of physical activity”,
• to increase “availability and consumption of healthy foods” and,
• to reduce in “the incidence of smoking among the Jamaican population”

For FULL purposes, the creation of healthy schools is a key takeway of this policy. In this sense, the policy targets e the school community to make wise food choices, among other benefits. According to the document, the school community encompasses not only children, but also parents, teachers and canteen operators. The policy also recognizes the value of a Schools Health Program which would “monitor the delivery of balanced meals and encourage wise food choices by children, while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle”.

Policy specific objectives

At last, the policy highlights some health promotion strategies, such as establishing a public policy and empowering communities/individuals (page 26 and 28). To this end, it brings some indicators as the following:

• the need of a “Guidelines for the promotion of healthy foods in schools, workplaces and communities”,
• the development of a “Guidelines for marketing and promotion of food products,
• capacity trainnings, among others,
• the establishment of a public policy on food and health, guided by a research programme,
• the need of regulatory and operational issues facing the food industry,
• the establishment of nutrition and food safety standards for the industry based on food-based dietary guidelines,
• the establishment of nutritional labeling standards.