The COVID-19 pandemic, primarily a public health shock, has triggered significant global economic repercussions, with profound negative impacts on Caribbean economies. As governments respond to the socioeconomic fallout of the pandemic, there is increasing evidence that COVID -19 disproportionately causes severe illness and death in persons with underlying health conditions that include non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer. Considering that the Caribbean records one of the highest prevalence of NCDs globally, the confluence of COVID -19 and NCDs presents not just a challenge of effectively managing a public health threat, but one of safeguarding the sustainable development of the subregion.

ECLAC Caribbean recently published a study on Addressing the adverse impacts of non-communicable diseases on the sustainable development of Caribbean countries, and produced a FOCUS

magazine on Noncommunicable Diseases and their Impact on Sustainable Development to stimulate policy debates and actions to address NCDs. This seminar is being organized to promote further dialogue on the

evidence-based policy recommendations addressed in these publications, to facilitate meaningful dialogue on the NCD challenge facing the Caribbean.

The seminar will bring together ministers and senior policymakers in the field of health, finance, planning, and sustainable development, from governments of the Caribbean. Officials of the United Nations system,

representatives of regional civil society organizations, academia, regional development institutions and international development partners will also be invited to participate and to contribute to the discussions,

as well as ECLAC staff.

Register here for the Twentieth meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee; and the Seminar on non-communicable diseases and their impact on sustainable development in the Caribbean.