Division of Health to launch radio series to help families

From next week, families experiencing difficulties coping with the effects of covid19 can vent their feelings through a radio series hosted by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

In making the announcement at the post-executive council news conference on June 8, the division’s assistant secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips said the radio series, titled Our Family, Our Future, will be interactive and focus on issues affecting and surrounding families.

She said the series is expected to run up to September, in the first instance, to gauge its impact.

“One of our aims at the division is to strengthen families as they cope with challenges that may arise, any other challenges that may not be covid19-related or covid19- related, with the intention of fostering strong and healthy family units which will impact supportive communities.”

Stewart-Phillips said some of the topics will include child supervision and protection and equipping single-parent and single-income households with mechanisms to cope and to manage those psychological nuances and economic variables.

Discussions will also address issues relating to the elderly, persons with disabilities and domestic violence survivors.

Stewart-Phillips said professionals in various fields will share information with the callers.

“These information sessions will strengthen and empower families through resources that would be highlighted in all the topics of discussion.

“We also want the public to be educated on the avenues that are available in Tobago as it relates to family development, family functioning.”

She urged Tobagonians to embrace the opportunity.

Stewart-Phillips also revealed the division is partnering with the United Nations, European Union and the Office of the Prime Minister – Child and Gender Affairs, to carry out its Spotlight initiative in Tobago, which seeks to eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030.

Representatives from the United Nations and European Union recently met with Stewart-Phillips and Health Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine.

Stewart-Phillips said the discussions focussed primarily on the execution of this Spotlight initiative.

She said the programme is being established for the very first time in TT and will be implemented under six pillars.

Tobago will place priority on pillars three, five and six. Pillar three addresses prevention, promoting gender and equitable social norms, attitudes and behaviours, while pillar five deals with data and improving the quality, accuracy and availability of data on violence against women and girls on the island. Pillar six focusses on creating a strong women’s movement and empowered civil society.

“So, we will be working collaboratively with the United Nations, the European, all of our NGOs and CBOs on the island of Tobago to ensure that this programme is successfully implemented in Tobago.”