Summer Leigh takes art prize

Roxborough Anglican Primary school student Summer Leigh Holder walked away with the top prize at the 9th annual Bovell Cancer Diabetes Foundation islandwide schoolchildren’s poster competition. Holder was one of the winners at Tuesday’s prizegiving ceremony at the Works Conference Room in Shaw Park

On the theme “Creativity and Generosity”, the contest drew over 60 entries and 19 students from different age groups were honoured for their accomplishments in three categories: drawing, colourful and other. The competition was for schoolchildren aged six to 15 and aimed at helping raise awareness of diabetes prevention and effective management.

In her remarks, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development Agatha Carrington applauded the effort of the foundation, whilst appealing to the audience which consisted mainly of schoolchildren, to take precautions and do those things which would allow them to have a healthy lifestyle.

“Children are not exempted from diabetes. We recall in 2015, the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) recorded 42,000 children under age 15 with type 1 diabetes and we’ve had 86,000 new type 1s per year in that same under-15 age group. This is cause for concern. These stats really point to the need for urgent action and building on the work of the NGOs and CBOs as we try to minimize the impact of this disease on our women, men, boys and girls,” she said.

Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Secretary, with responsibility for Education, Innovation and Energy, Marisha Osmond said by better understanding diabetes and becoming knowledgeable on the consequences, it can be prevented.

“Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes can be eradicated through education. The greater the effort directed towards informing us, the public, the greater the chances of preventing increased numbers of diabetic cases. Prevention of diabetes starts with. of course. the development of better lifestyles, healthy eating, being active and going to the doctor regularly,” she said.

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