Transcript
Life style diseases, or NCDs, are the leading cause of death in the Pacific, with many dying prematurely from heart disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases, and diabetes. The SPC's NCD Officer Solene Bertrand-Protat says the competition received widespread interest, with more than 40 entries across four categories. The four winners came from Guam, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
"Everyone was really happy to enter the competition. We have some quotes from the winners and some of them say it was just a good way to show the rest of the Pacific what is happening in their own country. That's what they really appreciate."
Ms Bertrand-Protat says a picture is worth a thousand words and the SPC will use the the winning images in campaigns to raise awareness of NCDs
"It's to find a different way to raise awareness on NCDs in the Pacific region. Usually it is always very serious and we say to people, don't smoke, don't eat unhealthy food. It is not very funny, not very sexy to talk about NCDs usually so we try to find another way to speak about that with the people of the reason."
Chris Surla from Guam won the NCD prevention category with a photo highlighting the importance of physical activity. He describes his photo.
"A group of Government of Guam employees participating in some Worksite Wellness. What is very popular in Guam right now is what they call Body Combat. So we had an instructor come in and we kind of filled the gym with some GovGuam people and they are all participating, having fun, sweating it out."
Mr Surla says there is currently momentum towards greater fitness and better health in Guam.
"There's definitely a lot of interest in group fitness. Every Saturday we have some sort of 5km [run] to kind of help fundraise for non-profits and things like that so I think physical activity is definitely going up here in Guam."
The Culture and NCD Prevention category was won by 14 year-old Raine Kalotiti from Vanuatu with an image of youth learning to surf.
"I wanted to show that other people and so can youth and they can stop smoking and taking drugs and they can come and take part in our VSA [Vanuatu Surfing Association] programme. I wanted to show exercising and surfing and that surfing too is a sport."
Raine is happy that her photo is being viewed across the Pacific.
"I am very proud that the image will be shown to other people, that we can stay healthy and be healthy by doing lots of exercise and eating lots of healthy food and vegetables."
Palau's Annabel Lyman and the FSM's Caroline Apaisam were the other category winners of the SPC competition.
