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Noumea
May 6 2019

Video and picture: Tui

Each year, the Pacific Community (SPC) delivers a campaign inviting young people from across the Pacific to be engaged and involved in promoting awareness regarding non-communicable diseases (NCD).  This year, SPC is inviting youth to create NCD themed comic strips, as a way to reach out to their communities.

Wake up! encourages young people to create NCD prevention messages using a variety of media platforms appropriate for audiences under the age of 30.

NCDs include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer, and are a major health, social and economic development challenge for Pacific Island countries and territories. These diseases, which are highly prevalent in the region, drain government resources and have a negative impact on quality of life. Typically observed in adults, NCDs are now being increasingly diagnosed in young people. Tobacco, harmful use of alcohol, poor diets (such as diets rich in sugar, salt, fats, processed foods, and low in fruit and vegetables) combined with lack of physical exercise, are the leading risk factors for NCD. Currently, young people have little opportunity to express themselves on these issues.

In 2017, Wake up! worked with youth groups to produce original videos and in 2018, young people created murals (graffiti art) to raise awareness about NCD. SPC believes that young people have the power to inspire younger generations to become more involved in health promotion and NCD prevention activities. NCDs are preventable and young people can take charge of their future and become healthy adults.

To find out more, visit this link. Entries close 31 May 2019.

The SPC implemented Wake Up Project is financed by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Pacific French Funds.

More info on the WAKE UP! project :

2019 Project call (teaser)

Wake Up! 2017 (video) 

Wake Up! 2018 (street art)

Media contact:

Solène Bertrand-Protat, Non-Communicable Diseases Advisor, Public Health Division, Pacific Community (SPC) | Email: Soleneb [at] spc.int (SoleneB[at]spc[dot]int)

About Us:

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947.