Well Bermuda Partnership

by HCC
WELL BERMUDA PARTNERSHIP
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
Status as at March 2020 Inactive
Country Bermuda
Name Well Bermuda Partnership
Date of establishment 2006
Date of first meeting 16th November 2006
Date of last meeting Last Annual meeting 2018.
Number of meetings over past 12 months Partnership members divided into 5 smaller action groups that meet monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. 1 – Annual meeting of the Partnership; 3 – Well Bermuda Executive Committee, which consists of the Chairs and Facilitators from each of the Action Groups
Chairperson’s name Dr. Virloy Lewin
Title Health Promotion Coordinator
Organisational affiliation Well Bermuda: National Health Promotion Strategy was established in response to an assessment conducted in collaboration with PAHO of Bermuda’s essential public health functions. Its aim was toward a greater coordination and cross-sectoral planning for a healthy Bermuda.
Duration of tenure Since 2010
Summary of steps taken to establish the Commission Specifically
  • Was there a planning group, (e.g. Task Force, Committee or other “precursor body”) that worked to establish the Commission?
  • If so, does the group still exist?
  • If it does, what is its relationship with the Commission?
 In 2004 the Department of Health conducted a process to ascertain the health priorities for Bermuda. Twenty community and government organisations came together to review Bermuda’s leading causes of death, the 2000 Census information of self-reported health conditions, the 1999 Adult Wellness Survey, and the 2001 Teen Wellness Survey
Through this process they established the most pressing health issues: overweight and obesity, heart disease, diabetes, accidents and violence, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, back spine problems, cancer, substance abuse, smoking, chronic renal disease, and arthritis. This process of prioritization was intended as a first step towards creating a common agenda for health across all sectors
Well Bermuda National Health Promotion Strategy is intended to provide direction, greater coordination; a way of assessing our progress and provides a unifying vision and set of goals for a healthy Bermuda
The Strategy is organized around three themes, each of which has identified goals, objectives and benchmarks. Eighteen health goals were identified as central to the country’s health promotion efforts
Lead agencies for each of the eighteen goals were identified and form the membership of Well Bermuda Partnership
  • Are there recommended profiles or desired characteristics for Commission Chair and Commissioners?
  • Were these applied in selecting the Chair and Commissioners?
  • If yes, to what extent do the Chair and Commissioners satisfy them? Fully? To a large extent? To some extent?
 The Health Promotion Office of the Department of Health retains the principal responsibility for monitoring and reporting on the progress on the National Health Promotion strategy objectives
The Health Promotion Coordinator is the “Chair” of the Partnership by virtue of position
Legal authority/reference Ministry of Health and Seniors
Location(sector/entity) Department of Health, Ministry of Health and Seniors
Mandate/Scope of work The mandate of the Partnership is to engender greater partnership and working together in the implementation of the National Health Promotion strategy
Terms of reference Yes
Conflict of interest policy No
Code of ethics No
Standard operating procedures Memorandum of Understanding
NNCDC strategic plan/plan of action
Duration of strategy of plan of action		 Yes – updating in progress
Decision-making process (consensus, majority, other) Consensus
Government sector membership and level of representation Lead agencies for 12 of the goals are Government Sector
Civil society membership and level of representation
  • Bermuda Diabetes Association,
  • Bermuda Heart Foundation,
  • Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre,
  • Open Airways,
  • Bermuda Red Cross,
  • Keep Bermuda Beautiful,
  • The Family Centre
  • Lead agencies for 6 of the goals are Civil Society; NGOs also represented in the working groups
Private sector membership and level of representation
  • Argus Insurance,
  • BFM (Insurer)
Private sector organisations are represented in the working groups.
Ex officio members -
Secretariat exists? If so, please give date of establishment No
Resources The NNCDC receives sources from the Health Promotion Office and lead agencies
Full-time human resources/functions No
Part-time human resources/functions No
Main functions (advisory, accountability, strategic planning, project/programme implementation, other) Communication about projects/programmes related to Well Bermuda; implementation of action plans; collaboration and coordination of activities to ensure optimal use of time and resources; and contribution to the evaluation of Well Bermuda implementation
Main areas of interventions for NCDs and NCD risk factors Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic kidney disease, hypertension
Other health issues that the NCD/Wellness Commission addresses HIV/AIDS, asthma
  • Is there integration – structural or functional, with other health-related Commissions, such as HIV Commissions?
  • If so, to what extent? Fully? To a large extent? To some extent? To some extent
 HIV/Safer Sex Practices is one the eighteen goals in the Strategy. There isn’t a HIV Commission; Government and a local NGO collaborate to address HIV prevention and treatment
Framework(s) of reference (national policy, strategy or plan; international plans/strategies) Well Bermuda National Health Promotion Strategy 2008; Bermuda Health Strategy 2014-2019 - Priorities for Bermuda’s Health System Reform; Bermuda Health Action Plan 2014-2019.
Well Bermuda 2020 coming out in 2017
Focus of interventions (legislation, taxation, policy development, project/programme development, project/programme implementation, capacity building, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, other Interventions are mostly project/program development and intervention, with monitoring and evaluation
Need capacity building in policy development
Work groups/subcommittees/task forces and their functions The Partnership is divided into 5 action Groups. Each Action Group has a chair and facilitator to coordinate meetings and report on progress towards goals and objectives
Accountability mechanisms (periodicity of monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and to whom; financial accountability mechanisms)
  1. Annual Update of Action Plan objectives
  2. Sign off on 2-year Memorandum of Understanding
  3. Quarterly Monitoring Reports sent to Health Promotion Coordinator (Chair of Partnership) The QMR use a stop-light system for level of progress for each action on a scale of 1-5
Main successes
  • Framework developed for Well Bermuda Strategy implementation – action plan and monitoring reports;
  • Well Bermuda Action/Work Groups;
  • Establishment of Annual Meetings to report on progress;
  • Increased collaboration between Government/NGOs and Private Sector

Completed Action Plans for 15 of the 18 goals

Signed MOUs with each of the Lead agencies

Well Bermuda Media Campaign – One voice for a Well Bermuda
Success Factors
  • Developed a Framework for the Implementation of Well Bermuda
Main challenges
  • Quarterly reporting; agencies taking ownership of the Strategy;
  • competing priorities; resources – human and financial

Commitment (competing agendas)

Resources (human and financial)

Political (lack understanding of what is needed to change current NCD issues)

COVID
Main source(s) of funding and approximate percentage of funding from each source Funding comes through the Health Promotion Office and is mainly for organisation of meetings/programs
Indicative annual budget (USD) There is no separate annual budget
Mechanisms for sustainability None
Additional information/comments None

The Well Bermuda Partnership (WBP) is an NNCDC equivalent that has a mandate broader than NCDs. It meets annually, but has action groups that work to address 18 goals, most directly linked to NCDs and their risk factors. However, two of the goals address, respectively, mental health and sexual and reproductive health.

The WBP has staff and financial resources from the Health Promotion Office. It has a strategic plan, developed within the frameworks of the National Health Promotion Strategy, which is organised around the themes of health people, healthy families, and health communities; the Bermuda Health Strategy 2014-2019; and the Bermuda Health Action Plan 2014-2019. Collaboration and partnership among all stakeholders are identified as key success factors. Notwithstanding its successes, the WBP faces challenges related to human and financial resources, agencies taking ownership of the Health Strategy, and reporting.

NNCDC ADVOCACY WORK
Status as at December 2021 Inactive
MENTAL HEALTH
Develop and implement a comprehensive mental health plan that complies with international human rights instruments,
includes allocated human and financial resources, and undergoes regular monitoring against indicators or targets for implementation		 -
Decriminalize suicide, suicide attempts and other acts of self-harm -
Increase public awareness about mental health and how to stop discrimination through campaigns that involve
individuals living with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities		 -
Introduce brief interventions for hazardous substance use -
Advocate with other sectors such as housing, education, social welfare etc for the support of people with mental disorders
and psychosocial disabilities		 -
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
Does the NNCDC structure include a position for a youth representative? -
Is the NNCDC connected to other organizations that prioritize youth engagement? -
Has the NNCDC utilized social media campaigns to target youth? -
5 NCD RISK FACTORS
TOBACCO USE
Reduced affordability of tobacco products by increasing tobacco excise taxes and prices -
Protect people from tobacco smoke by creating, by law, implementing completely smoke-free environments in all indoor workplaces, public places, and public transport -
Warn individuals of the dangers of tobacco and tobacco smoke through effective health warnings and mass media campaigns -
Implement and enforce bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship -
Ban the sale of tobacco to minors -
Support plain packaging and pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages -
Implement measures to minimize illicit trade in tobacco products -
Assess the usage and impact of e-cigarettes, and develop appropriate control measures if indicated, including through legislation and regulations for tobacco control -
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
Raise public awareness of physical inactivity through mass media public spaces and other programmes Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Premier’s Youth Fitness Programme(PYFP)- Introduced in Sept. 2016 to encourage fitness in schools.
  • 50 Billion Steps Challenge- Ran one in 2017 and another scheduled for January 2018 to encourage community to walk more.
Develop population-based, age-specific guidelines on physical activity. -
Advocate for the design of public spaces that are supportive of physical activity. -
UNHEALTHY DIET
Reduce salt intake and salt content of food Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Eat Well Plate- A dietary guideline was created for persons to get a safe and adequate intake of salt.
Replace trans fats with unsaturated fat Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Eat Well Plate- A dietary guideline was created for fat intake and it helps persons choose healthy fats with Omega 6 and Omega 3.
Raise public awareness of unhealthy diet through mass media and other programmes Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Eat Well Plate - Used to promote health, balanced eating. The goal of the Bermuda Dietary Guidelines is to increase knowledge of the healthy options that exist and can be easily incorporated into a healthier lifestyle for all Bermudians ages two years and older.
Place taxes on sugar sweetened beverages Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Sugar Tax Consultationv- Following the 2017 Throne Speech, the Government consulted on a proposed Sugar Tax for Bermuda, at gov.bm/health-public-consultations.
Implement nutritional labelling policies which promote consumption of healthier foods and beverages Promoted/Currently Promoting:
  • Read your labels food guide in supermarkets- Proposed initiative to work with supermarkets to display Food Label Guide prominently at point-of-food item selection (i.e., in the isles)
  • Introduce Food Labelling- Proposed initiative to require food establishments to publish food nutrition labels on their menus. Link to their licensing.
Develop and implement school policies which restrict the availability of unhealthy foods and beverages within schools and their surroundings Promoted/Currently Promoted:
  • Healthy Schools Initiative- Promotes water-only policies, which developed after the introduction of the Cafeteria and Vending Machine policy.
HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL
Raise excise taxes on alcoholic beverages -
Regulate commercial and public availability of alcohol -
Enforce restrictions or bans on alcohol promotion and advertising -
Collaborate with NGOs and Ministry of Transport to educate the public on the harmful use of alcohol -
Advocate for the introduction of breathalyser testing -
AIR POLLUTION
Improve housing conditions and ensure access to clean energy sources for indoor cooking, heating and lighting -
Create awareness and develop appropriate strategies to reduce exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in households -
Phase out health-harmful subsidies for fossil fuels and polluting industries and introduce penalties for polluters and/or taxes on pollution -
Include air quality measures in urban, rural and transport planning at city, regional and national level, including measures to encourage modal shift and active mobility, noting the additional benefits to health, wellbeing, and reduction of health inequalities -
Adopt and strictly enforce emissions standards for all pollutants in all relevant sectors, including industry, energy, transport, waste, and agricultures -