Incentivized Community Programme to Tackle NCDs

Improving your health could win you a Caribbean Cruise for two.

That’s one of the major incentives behind Pharma Wellness In the Community, a health initiative launched recently at the Irvin Harewood Centre of the Christ Church Parish Church. It is the brainchild of the Chief Executive Officer of Pharma Wellness International Inc. (PWII), Lennox Prescod. Republic Bank is supporting the effort through its corporate social responsibility initiative, the Power to Make A Difference (PMAD).

PWII will use health fairs and other community-based activities to spread the word on how to improve non-communicable diseases outcomes and encourage people to enroll in their preventive healthcare and wellness programme. Health checks and biometric testing will be done on site. Families, along with church, sports, dance and other groups are being encouraged to sign up. While there will be giveaways at the various community events, there are special prizes for those who enroll in the 2021-2022 programme cycle.

“With the help of PMAD we’ve incentivized the programme so that people who join the programme in the private sector would be able next year to win a fully paid weekend for two in a Caribbean country and those in this [community] programme would be able to win a Caribbean cruise for two sometime next year. So that provides people with motivation. However, you’ve got to improve in about three of the areas that we test you for in order to win,” Prescod explained.

Participants will be coached on how to manage their conditions and improve their overall health and wellness. Their health data will be monitored to track improvements. Prescod said participants will also get to hear and learn from people who are successfully managing their health and NCDs.

PWII member Rodley Trotman described his four years in the programme as “very rewarding” and noted that he learned how to read food labels, which helped him to make better dietary choices while managing his diabetes. He stressed that in order for results to be gained and sustained “there must be commitment to the task of managing your disease.”

In his brief address, Minister of Labour & Social Partnership Relations, Hon. Colin Jordan, MP. described the programme as vital and timely.

“To attain the goal of wellness really requires the involvement of all stakeholders in Barbados. Pharma Wellness International is an important stakeholder in this matter of attaining wellness in our society. For a number of years, Pharma Wellness has been conducting programmes to address chronic non-communicable diseases and to restore people to quality lives. This morning, we welcome their involvement in creating a population of people who are well, who are healthy and who can be productive residents leading fulfilled lives. We wish this community programme much success and we look forward to this programme making a significant difference in the lives of our people,” he said.

Republic Bank’s General Manager, Retail & Operations, Sharon Zephirin congratulated the PWII team for successfully launching the programme.

"I am excited about the prospects of this programme. I am happy that we can support a programme like this and put much needed knowledge, skills and opportunities within the grasp of people who want and need it. I look forward to the development of this community programme and to hearing about the many success stories I am sure will come from it. COVID-19 has shown us the importance of maintaining good health. This is precisely the kind of grass-roots initiative we need to encourage us all to take greater responsibility over the management of our health,” she said.

The first health fair is scheduled for August at the Christ Church Parish Church.