The Health Promotion Department (HPD) at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah and its health-promoting associations unveiled the programs and initiatives that will be organized throughout the year 2021. The new activities aim to consolidate healthy patterns among all members of society, improve public health in the Emirate of Sharjah, and strengthen the emirate’s efforts to be the first healthy city regionally and globally, in line with the visions and directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs.

This came during a press conference held on Tuesday in the presence of Iman Rashid Saif, Director of Health Promotion Department, Dr. Fadila Mohamed Sherif, Director of MoHAP’s Health Education & Promotion, Eng. FathiAfaneh, CEO of Fast Building Contracting, Dr. Mansour Habib, Consultant Family Medicine & Occupational Health, heads of the health-promoting associations, representatives of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA),a number of the Department’s strategic partners, the volunteers in the Department, and media representatives.

During the conference, the Department highlighted the most important programs and initiatives that will be organized this year to strengthen the efforts of the Emirate of Sharjah to raise awareness of community members and prevent diseases, as well as to encourage the individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles. These include completing the work phases in ‘Wazen’ program, implementing the new standards for the Healthy Schools Program in the schools of the Emirate of Sharjah, continuing the “Sohbati 2020” program which aims to spread health awareness among adolescents and to encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles, organizing the 8th online campaign ‘Health & Tourism’, and the radio show ‘Towards a healthy life’.

Sharjah … Oasis of Healthy Life

Iman Rashid Saif said: “The newly announced programs and initiatives come as part of the Department’s efforts to reinforce Sharjah’s position as an oasis of healthy life and a regional and global example of the attention to the health and safety of its citizens and residents. This is pursuant to the visions and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in their endeavors to improve health-related behaviors and provide a decent life that guarantees the well-being, safety and happiness of society and brighter future for generations to come.”

Innovative Programs

She added: “Covid-19 posed a major health challenge for all world countries; however, the UAE has been a global example in terms of dealing with the repercussions of the pandemic and its ability to turn challenges into opportunities.”

Saif pointed out the Department has developed innovative programs and initiatives that help enhance the country’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic, emphasizing the Department that will continue to play its growing and vital role in preserving the public health. To that end, we’ll will work on spreading healthy culture and habits among community members, support needy patients who are unable to afford treatment costs, and educating the public about how to curb and prevent diseases.

Concluding her remarks, the Director of HPD thanks all the strategic partners, sponsors, media, and volunteers for their constant support to the Department’s initiatives and programs.

Honoring sponsors

The conference witnessed the honoring of the sponsors, strategic partners, and media outlets for their outstanding efforts and support for the Department’s programs and initiatives, including Sharjah Radio as a media sponsor and Fast Contracting Co as an exclusive sponsor of the Department’s activities, while Dr. Mansour Habib was named the 2020’s HPD supporter.

Most prominent initiatives

Iman Turki, Head of Programs Department at the Health Promotion Department, touched on the Department’s initiatives, including the online campaign “Hilal Al-Seha” which targets all segments of society to raise awareness of healthy behaviors in Ramadan and the launch of an educational program that coincides with World Food Day, in addition to organizing a special ceremony for honoring the volunteers in the Department and the health-promoting associations, and participating in awareness-raising campaigns, local exhibitions, and festivals.

Emirati network initiative

Aml Al-Jallani from Breastfeeding Friends Association, said: “The Association will start its activities with a virtual brainstorming meeting for the association’s members and volunteers to discuss the agenda of its programs and projects and ways to help them achieve the sought-after goals.”

She added that the Association will also launch the Emirati Network initiative, which aims to establish a unified network that brings together all the supporters of breastfeeding in the country to help facilitate networking and exchange of experiences with those bodies. In addition, we’ll be launching the “home visit” initiative to visit nursing mothers within safety controls and standards to help them overcome breastfeeding problems andbesides continuing the annual ‘Breastfeeding Guides’ program.

Pink Caravan

Khawla Rashid, Director of Patient Affairs Department, Friends of Cancer Patients Society, shed light on the association’s agenda for this year, including the launch of the 2nd virtual forum ‘Cervical Cancer’, the participation in the Gulf Cancer Awareness Campaign for the sixth year in a row, the launch of the 11th Pink Caravan which will continue for 7 days and aims to spread awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

She added that Association will be also organizing cancer awareness initiatives during the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in addition to participating in several international conferences and hosting the 5th Combined Gulf Cancer Conference (CGCC) which will be held in 2021 in the Emirate of Sharjah for three days.

Kidneys for Human Health conference

Mira Al-Mansouri, Executive Secretary at the Friends of Kidney Patients Association, highlighted the Association’s prominent initiatives for the year 2021, including the organization of the first edition of the “Kidneys for Human Health” conference which aims to discuss the latest developments in kidney diseases and the latest treatments, the launch of the “Kidney … story and lesson” initiative which aims to shed light on patients and their suffering during their illness and to support them financially and morally, in addition to organizing the “My Health in Ramadan” initiative and the “Water Campaign” initiative to enhance community awareness of the importance of water and sports for kidney health.

Smart joint award

Mai Al-Harathi from the Friends of Arthritis Patients Society, touched on the Society’s agenda for 2021, which includes organizing a ceremony to announce the winners of the Smart Joint Award and launching the 9th Annual Charity Marathon which aims to attract over 8,000 participants. The initiatives also include a ‘one-hour walk’, an awareness-raising short film contest, in addition to launching the “Winter Without Pain” initiative, and the “Steps Toward Hope” initiative, which aims to provide support for senior citizens with arthritis patients help them cope with the disease.

Enhancing community awareness about diabetes

Amna Al-Shamsi, Executive Secretary at the Friends for Diabetes Association, shed light on the Association’s initiatives and programs, including the launch of the Superhero Campaign which aims to educate school students about diabetes, its causes, symptoms and risks, as well as to raise their friends’ awareness about the disease, in addition to highlighting and the importance of early detection and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Al-Haj pointed out that the Association will be also organizing special activities during global health days to enhance community awareness about diabetes, its causes, methods of prevention, and coexistence with it, and provide a supportive environment for health that helps the individuals adopt Positive healthy lifestyles. This is in addition to organizing the ‘Blue Circle’ initiative to mark World Diabetes Day which falls on November 14 every year, the annual ‘Prevention & Coexistence’ campaign.

The Health Promotion Department and the Health Supporting Associations will continue to launch several initiatives to celebrate World Health Days throughout the year, in addition to raising awareness through social media and the media outlets to ensure that their outreach messages reach the largest segment of the public.