The joint CFNI project – which is into its second year - is being run in Grenada, at the Anglican High School, St. Joseph’s Convent, St. George, St. Mark Secondary and St. David Catholic Secondary Schools, with its key strategy being the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors in students of forms 1-3.
Through the programme it is hoped that there will be improved diet and physical activity patterns as well as sustainable lifestyle intervention programmes for secondary schools.
The project is being administered in four phases: Problem assessment and awareness, development of programme materials and teacher training, implementation of a lifestyle intervention and monitoring and evaluation.
CFNI officials are hoping that the project can have a spill over effect to involve not only students but also teachers, parents and eventually the wider community.
The expectation is for increased accessibility to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities, as well as promotional events and extracurricular activities at schools and the building of supportive environments in the home through family support education programmes.
Chronic illnesses – such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes – are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems yet they plague societies worldwide.
It is with this in mind that the CFNI collaborated with the World Diabetes Foundation and the Ministries of Education, Health and Sports in Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, to bring these illnesses to the attention of children.