The Health Promotion Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah has launched the 5^th annual “Health and Tourism” campaign yesterday, which will take place during August 1-30 under the slogan “Umbrella”. This year’s edition of the campaign will focus on raising awareness on the concept and challenges of heat exhaustion and the different ways of preventing it. The campaign also aims to raise awareness on a number of unhealthy practices that can be prevented during the summer season, in addition to spreading information on the importance of using umbrellas in the summer to safeguard against the sun.

This annual campaign is held under the wise vision 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. It is considered to be the world’s first online health and tourism campaign that promotes both a healthy lifestyle and various tourist locations in Sharjah at the same time. The campaign has been successful in reaching6 million followers on social media platforms during its last 4 editions.

The Health Promotion Department revealed details for the new edition of the campaign during the press conference that was held at the headquarters of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. The press conference was attended by HE Iman Rashid Saif, Director of the Health Promotion Department; and Majid Hamad Al Suwaidi, Manager of the Domestic Promotions Department at the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA); in addition to representatives of both the media and the campaign’s various sponsoring and supporting institutions.

HE Iman Rashid Saif, Director of the Health Promotion Department, stated that the campaign is held under the patronage and the 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, to promote health awareness in the emirate, and to highlight various tourist and cultural locations in Sharjah. She added that the campaign has become one of the most successful community initiatives on social media platforms.

Saif added, “Sharjah has been selected by the World Health Organization as the region’s First Healthy City, and this campaign helps to uphold the high distinction that Sharjah occupies when it comes to healthcare, culture, tourism, art and heritage.”

The 5^th annual “Health and Tourism” campaign includes a variety of educational workshops, free examinations, recreational games and shows, and competitions. The campaign will also include events and activities that will have a large presence on social media platforms, where they can be surveyed and followed up with though the hashtag #healthandtourism18, as well as #umbrella. The events will be held at various tourism spots in Sharjah, which include Al MajazWaterFront, Sharjah Cultural Palace, Sharjah National Park, and ElyashPark among others.

During the past 4 years, the Health and Tourism campaign has succeeded in playing an active role in encouraging healthy daily practices, in addition to highlighting various tourist and cultural sites in Sharjah, which was done through activities and events that were hosted at these sites. The campaign has also signed a partnership agreement with the “World Walking” institution to include various tourist locations as milestones in its Sharjah walking route, which acts as a walking guide for lovers of walking in the emirate.