Every year, more than 36 million people die worldwide due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). While the problem is global, in the Pacific Islands it is more pronounced, with over 70% of deaths caused by NCDs. This has led Pacific Governments to declare an ‘NCD Crisis’ in the region.
BTS is a comprehensive health education program made with and for the people of the Pacific Islands. Spanning film, virtual reality, storybooks and a mobile game, BTS uses transmedia storytelling and interactive technology to inspire primary school children to adopt healthy eating habits. Created in collaboration with local Pacific Islanders and international experts, the program brings together health research, regional policy and school curriculum to combat some of the behavioral risk factors of NCDs.
The BTS program was piloted over the course of five weeks in 2018 with over 300 primary school children across urban, rural and remote areas of Fiji. At its conclusion, the program’s end-of-pilot evaluation found that BTS had a significant impact on children’s attitudes towards healthy eating.