About The Initiative

The mission of the Bryan/Roach Administration is to improve the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders which includes enhancing the health and wellness of everyone living in the territory.

On May 2, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. launched the “Our Best Life” campaign as part of a major health and wellness initiative to give Virgin Islands families and seniors the tools they need to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This yearlong campaign will feature activities, events, and services to get families “Moving Their Way” and seniors “Aging the Way.”

Virgin Islanders spend more than $150 million annually in medical claims for “sick care.”  Locally, heart disease is the leading cause of death and diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death.  Diabetes affects 16.8 percent of Virgin Islands residents, some 14,640 persons. Approximately 26.1 percent of Virgin Islands adults have high blood pressure.

Some of the risk factors associated with these major chronic conditions are diet and physical activity:

• 71 percent of VI adults said they consume fewer than five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• 51 percent of VI adults do not do 30 minutes of physical activity five or more times per week

The Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation and the Department of Human Services have been tapped to lead this bold initiative, which focuses on helping seniors age well and with dignity and on encouraging families to be proactive in taking care of their emotional and mental health well-being.

Our partners at the AARP of the Virgin Islands and Viya, have joined the initiative and have agreed to do a little more to help make it a success.

The “Our Best Life” campaign is part two of the Healthier Horizons initiative which kicked off in June 2020 to implement sweeping health reform by developing policies to expand access to care, to improve the healthcare infrastructure and to modernize the delivery of health services.  The Healthier Horizons Initiative to address 11 major areas for improvement in healthcare. For more information about Health Horizons visit www.vi.gov/healthier-horizons .

“Where I see a challenge, I also see an opportunity. And today we have an opportunity to make some changes so that we our living our best lives.”

– USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr.