Development Bank partners with Nevis Health Promotion Unit in hosting wellness walk

Published 10 September 2019

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

Development Bank partners with Nevis Health Promotion Unit in hosting wellness walk  

Charlestown, Nevis, September 10, 2019 (DBSKN) — Caribbean Wellness Day is observed on the second Saturday in the month of September. Information coming out of Nevis is that the Health Promotion Unit will on Saturday September 14 be celebrating the annual event with a number of activities, among them a wellness walk that has been sponsored by the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Ms Shevanee Nisbett, Senior Health Educator at the Nevis Health Promotion Unit noted that Caribbean Wellness Day is a day that is celebrated by Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). It is a day to create awareness for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and every year the Health Promotion Unit has various activities to commemorate Caribbean Wellness Day.

“The Development Bank is usually our major sponsor for these activities,” observed Ms Nisbett. “The wellness walk starts at 6:00 am at the bottom of Cotton Ground road, right at the entrance of Yachtsman Grill Restaurant and then it goes through Charlestown and ends at the Villa Ground and there we will have some entertainment and a breakfast party. We will have water along the route as well.”

Ms Nisbett gave details of the Caribbean Wellness Day event on Thursday September 5 at the Nevis branch office of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis (DBSKN) in Stoney Grove, Charlestown, where she had gone to collect this year’s sponsorship cheque for the event from the bank’s Credit Risk Management Officer Mrs Jean Alcendor-Browne.

“Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are recognised as a threat to one’s wellbeing, and contribute to severely impact health, economy and development of our nation,” noted Mrs Alcendor-Browne. “St. Kitts and Nevis is a developing country and with our population being the country’s major resource, we at the Development Bank are in full support of the efforts by the Health Promotion Unit to keep our people active.”

According to the Senior Health Educator, Ms Shevanee Nisbett, over the years the response has been good, as they have seen an increase in the number of persons that turn out for the wellness walk noting that people are usually excited. She added that they already have persons who are registering for the walk and encouraged more to do the same.

The Nevis Health Promotion Unit’s main message is to get people to be active, by exercising daily and going for walks, as that is one of the ways one can prevent non-communicable diseases. She noted that the message is being received well. One of the unit’s initiatives is to create walks and related events that get people to walk, and the wellness walk on Saturday September 14 is one of the ways to encourage people to be active.

“Development Bank is there for the people, and we stand behind the bank,” said Ms Nisbett. “I want to encourage everyone to support Development Bank and use the bank. The staff and the Development Bank on a whole are friendly people, as they are out for the community and they are always helping Nevisians and Kittitians in whatever cause they have – once it is a good cause they are always there to support. I encourage persons to take part in what the Development Bank has to offer and always sign up with the bank for your business and your personal use.”