IUC bats for healthy living

The Montego Bay campus of the International University of the Caribbean (IUC) will be staging a health seminar next week Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The seminar will be held at the IUC's campus at 18 East Street and will be led by senior medical officer at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Consultant Surgeon Dr Delroy Fray, and regional dietician with the Western Regional Health Authority, Rosealee Brown.

"We've had discussions with health professionals who have pointed to a drastic increase in chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) such as diabetes and hypertension, and being aware of the increase has motivated us to go forward with a health seminar," said IUC Business Services Manager Deborah Edwards-Smikle.

"The objective is to assist in the education of the Montego Bay community on how nutrition impacts well-being; the increase and impact of chronic diseases; and ways to overcome these conditions ... . Individuals suffering from CNCD can experience stress, which may result in poor performance at work and may impact the lives of family, friends, and the workplace in a negative way," said Edwards-Smikle.

The seminar seeks to attract persons suffering directly and indirectly from CNCD, as well as medical professionals, healthy individuals, churches and organisations. Health checks such as cholesterol and blood sugar will also be offered.

In addition to the health seminar, the IUC offers other outreach programmes to the community by way of its Centre for Counselling and Psychological Services, which helps persons with many ailments to manage themselves in a holistic way.

- Contributed