Health Promotion Department launches ‘Lifestyle’
SHARJAH: The Health Promotion Department (HPD) at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in Sharjah on Thursday has launched its latest awareness-raising programme titled “Lifestyle”, which aims to raise health awareness of the individuals and encourage them to follow healthy lifestyles.
The year-long programme is coinciding with World Obesity Day and is targeting the staff of the SCFA and its affiliated departments, public and private institutions in Sharjah, school and university students, and parents.
Commenting on the launch, the HPD said that the programme includes numerous innovative services and initiatives, such as the Virtual Health
Consultations service and Healthy Shopping initiative which features important tips about ways of adopting healthy lifestyles and guidelines on how to opt for healthy foods while shopping.
The Department called on the individuals to visit the following link: https://2u.pw/vxego to avail of the free consultations service.
Iman Rashid Saif, Director of Health Promotion Department, said the programme is based on the Department’s health awareness survey conducted in 2020 in terms of strengthening healthy habits and practices that have a direct relation to nutrition and physical activity, stating that a survey found that obesity is one of the most important health challenges by 49% compared to other diseases, while 76% of those surveyed underlined the importance of exercise and healthy diet in improving the public health.
The study also showed that nutrition and lifestyle are among the most important topics for 68% of the participants, while only 30% of those surveyed showed their interest in reading food labels, something that reflects the significance of the Healthy Shopping initiative to disseminate the culture of healthy food shopping.
Recently, a series of virtual panel discussions were held on the first day of the 8th “Sehati (My Health) Conference, discussing a wide range of pressing health issues including the most important global health and preventive practices followed, in addition to ways of enhancing the physical and nutritional health of children and young people.
The event was organised by the Health Promotion Department (HPD) under the patronage 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.
Moderated by Dr Ibtihal Fadhil, Chairperson of the Eastern Mediterranean NCD Alliance, the inaugural session discussed two working papers presentedbydrmuhaddithaalhashimi,chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, and Dr Dalia Samhouri, Regional Emergency Director, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.