The Ministry of Health will host a panel discussion on maintaining the wellbeing of mothers and their babies in recognition of World Health Day next week.

“Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: the First 1,000 Days of Life in Bermuda”, scheduled for Monday, will feature the insights of several specialists.

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said the theme underscored “our shared belief that the health of mothers and babies is essential for building strong families and resilient communities”.

The discussion will feature Sylvanus Nawab, a paediatric specialist; Fiona Dill, a doula and the executive director of the charity It Takes a Village; Terrylynn Tyrell, the co-ordinator of the Child Development Programme; Alison Outerbridge, a public health nutritionist; Ricky Brathwaite, chief executive of the Bermuda Health Council; and Lynn Jackson, chief nursing officer at the Department of Health.

It will be moderated by Janice Mullings-George, a registered nurse and founder of Reset to Reboot.

The event reflects the health ministry’s First 1,000 Days Integrated Care Pathways Initiative, a part of the universal health coverage programme.

It is meant to assist women and children from the conception of the child to its second birthday.

Help will include creating an expected timeline of patient care, expanding home visiting services, improving maternal mental health support and promoting breastfeeding.

The panel discussion takes place at the Athene Lecture Hall in Bermuda College between 5.45pm and 7.30pm.