Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) and Chairman of the Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in the Emirate of Sharjah, affirmed that the percentage of meeting the criteria for the Healthy Cities Programme has reached 98 percent based on internal review and what has been accomplished during 2018-2020 in the Emirate of Sharjah.

This is under the World Health Organisation’s criteria for concerted efforts and continued work to fulfil the requirements of expanding the scope of the healthy cities programme in the emirate.

The Healthy Cities Department of the AHA commended the efforts of government agencies and departments in Sharjah that contribute to achieving the goals of the programme and providing a sustainable healthy environment in accordance with the vision and directives of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, as Sharjah has become a model for the implementation of the Healthy Cities Programme.

This was stated during the ninth meeting of the Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in Sharjah held remotely via visual communication technology, in the presence of members and coordinators of the committee to discuss the latest developments in the expansion of the Sharjah Healthy Cities Programme.

During the meeting, Dr. Al Muhairi, in a virtual meeting with the WHO, reviewed the 2020 achievements, and in another meeting with the joint committee with health cities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Al Muhairi discussed ways to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to intensifying awareness campaigns.

The meeting discussed ways to strengthen institutional and community partnerships to provide the best health services to citizens and residents of Sharjah by uniting and intensifying efforts in the public interest of individuals, gathering resources and coordinating between the concerned authorities to implement the healthy cities programme criteria.

Aisha Hussain Al Hosani, Head of Institutional Innovation Department at the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD), reviewed the profile of the emirate, “The Sharjah Document”, which contains comprehensive data about the emirate, and aims to involve all entities and institutions of the emirate in providing a healthy, safe and sustainable socially, economically and healthy environment to achieve an ideal community.

The members of the committee stressed the importance of working closely to achieve the highest health standards, institutional and community partnership to fulfil the WHO requirements.

The meeting also dealt with the results that have been achieved since the launch of the programme, as the emirate has become an ideal environment for citizens and residents through working to achieve the highest levels of quality of life. Work has been done on preparing an electronic network for the programme, which includes health networks in the GCC countries.