 The physical fitness session served as a culminating leg of the HART's original training workshop and the non-communicable disease NCD framework monitoring meeting which were held in San Lucia on May 16th to 17th and May 18th to 19th respectively. Representatives of over 17 countries converged in San Lucia over the four days to dialogue on the current realities associated with non-communicable diseases and to map the way forward as governments in the region look to improving healthcare. The workshops were held in collaboration with PAHO and WHO. HART is a program aimed at blood pressure control and cardiovascular risk reduction. Physical exercise is one of the recommended daily activities in combating hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, often a lifestyle-related medical condition. Dr. Melia Del Riego, PAHO, WHO representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean countries, applauded San Lucia and other regional territories for their efforts at implementing the HART's initiative. Dr. Melia Del Riego, PAHO, WHO representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean countries, of a health, wellness and elderly affairs, Honourable Moses Jabatist, who delivered the feature address at the opening of the workshop, spoke on strengthening primary care for advancing the management of non-communicable diseases. The minister added that as the region slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and embraces the lessons learned, it will do the region well to focus on primary healthcare which forms the foundation of the entire healthcare system. From the experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, we see the need for change and the need to come together as we use best practices to build stronger primary healthcare systems which respond to the challenges posed by NCDs and their risk factors. As mentioned previously, primary care must be patient-centered. Patients must be at the core of what we do. As we move towards decreasing the burden of NCDs, we must ensure that no family is driven into poverty because of illness. Healthcare must be affordable and the necessary partnerships through social insurance schemes must be fostered and strengthened so that everyone has equal opportunity to care and to get essential drugs and services. In St. Lucia, NCDs contribute to 82% of mortality annually. According to the health minister, through St. Lucia's implementation of the performance-based financing project PPF, different health regions will have free access to medication and lab testing during the first level of care for people living with NCDs. During the workshop, several healthcare practitioners received training in the heart's modules and cardiovascular risk management CVRM facilitated by PAHO. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Chulita Peter reporting.