Errol Longsworth, an active member of the GOJoven Belize Alumni Association (GOBelize) and graduate of the Public Health Institute’s Youth Leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health Program (GOJoven), travels to Trinidad on March 19th to attend the 2014 NCD Child Conference to share his perspective as a youth leader from Belize. Errol currently is an outreach caseworker for the treatment unit at the National Drug Abuse Control Council, a governmental organization under the Ministry of Health in Belize, where he helps to educate students and the general public to the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. Errol talks about the impact of drugs and violence on his life and his dedication to improving the health and well-being of the youth of Belize in his GOJoven digital story.
The 2014 NCD Child Conference, the second International Conference on NCDs, Children and Adolescents, will be held March 20 – 21, 2014, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. NCD Child is a global coalition, championing the rights and needs of children, adolescents and youth who are living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), or are at risk of developing NCDs or the behaviors that underlie NCDs later in life. The conference aims to further develop a vibrant platform for interaction, knowledge exchange and networking.
The 2012 NCD Child Conference –held in Oakland, CA and co-sponsored by the Public Health Institute – produced the Oakland Statement on Children, Adolescents and NCDs. The 2014 conference will build on the achievements of the 2012 NCD Child Conference to ensure the needs of children, adolescents and youth are a priority focus within the context of NCD action and the post-2015 agenda. The event will provide an opportunity to establish and strengthen regional partnerships – with a special focus on the Caribbean – as well as highlight current promising practices from around the world.
Dr. Lynn Silver, a senior advisor for chronic disease and obesity with PHI will co-moderate a panel on March 20 at 1:30 pm, titled: Human Rights, Legislation and Post 2015. Errol will represent GOBelize and GOJoven and will participate in a special youth focused pre-conference dinner with change makers from around the world to discuss the outcomes of the UNICEF Facts For Life meeting, in the context of his experience mobilizing youth in the fight against NCDs.
GOBelize is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) formed in 2010 by a group of GOJoven Alumni. This youth-lead organization empowers youth through educational opportunities in sexual and reproductive health, enhanced leadership skills and environmental consciousness in order to create a healthy Belize. GOBelize has created and implemented programs throughout Belize to engage out-of-school youth in HIV prevention education, advocate for comprehensive sexuality education in schools and train service providers to offer youth-friendly health services.
Best of luck to Errol and Lynn in Trinidad!