If you have a smart phone or tablet, and you are health conscious, or think you should start making better decisions about your health, the Belize Cancer Society has an app you might want to try.
It was created in partnership between the Cancer Society and the telecoms company Smart, and it was envisioned as a tool raise awareness about childhood obesity. Health experts say that 1 in every 3 child in the Caribbean is obese, and so, the Cancer Society wants to reach out to Belizean kids in the hope of reversing that trend.
SMART and the Cancer Society launched this new app today at the Society's headquarters in Belize City. The creators hope it can become a life-style tool on every smart device in Belize.
Adelaide Sabido - PR and Branding, SMART
"Today, we celebrate the launching of Belize's first cancer app, designed and produced by Smart, which has been gifted to the Belize Cancer Society. This app will serve as a resource tool for those individuals and families affected by cancers, and other non-communicable diseases that plague so many."
"Many young adults and young children have been diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, simply due to poor health choices. The app therefore contains vital information, not only on different types of cancers present in Belize, but also information diabetes, obesity, self-monitoring skills to prevent non-communicable diseases, and the impact of diagnosis. The app is live, and will continuously be update with relevant information."
Heather Reneau - Senior Admin., Belize Cancer Society
"Earlier this year, we got some funds from the Caribbean Development Bank, and the purpose of this initiative was to educate people, and to raise the awareness of childhood obesity. Understanding that 1 in every 3 of our Caribbean children are considered either overweight or obese. And overweight children become overweight adults. We have been seeing - all our member organizations - an increase in diabetes, an increase in kidney failure, and increase in hypertension."
"We have to get to our young people where they are, and this is the technological age. Everybody has a phone. Everybody has a tablet, and everybody downloads their apps. Kids download their apps, games that they play, and they are so consumed with it. Why not create an app with health information?"
Mondyna Prevote - Intern, Belize Cancer Society
"As you go into the settings, the tabs over there, you'll see the information tab, and that's where you'll get most of the information. We have information about cancer."
"The next one is the BMI calculator, and this is just to help you get a better understanding of yourself. So basically, you would just go in and put in your weight; you put in your height, and you calculated it. It will tell you basically where you are on the BMI schedule."
"The next one is the doctors tab. It's currently being updated. So, that will have the name of doctors, their phone numbers, their addresses, and some of them will even have email addresses, so you'll be able to get in contact with them, and get the proper information that you need. And the next one is the resource tab, and it has all the other organizations that we are working. You'll be able to click on them, and they will link you to website, and you'll be able to go directly to their website and get the information."
The app is free, and it is available for both Apple and Android devices.
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