Out of the center's keenness to provide the highest standards of healthcare and to maintain the wellbeing of the community members, especially in schools, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, the first of its kind in the region, announced its continued efforts to activate the Eat Right & Get Active program in cooperation with its strategic partners, mainly the Emirates School Establishment , the Department of Education and Knowledge and the School Health Services provided by Abu Dhabi Healthcare Company (SEHA)Through this program, the center aims to reduce the percentage of diseases associated with bad eating habits and those that result from low levels of physical activity and encourage the adoption of the healthiest practices and build a healthy environment in schools. As public health can be advanced through various activities including My Healthy Plate, Healthy Lunch Box, Get Active Week, Green Apple Day, Five a Day, and Rethink your Drink and Healthy Snack.
On this occasion, Her Excellency Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri, Executive Director of the Community Health Sector, said:" Promoting the health of our students is a strategic priority of the UAE government. In cooperation with strategic partners, the program has been launched since 2011 in order to raise awareness among this group and work to develop their healthy behaviors, and to teach children at an early age the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle that will bear fruit later, in addition to reflecting the positive impact of adopting a healthy lifestyle on children’s health, increasing their educational attainment and developing their potential.” She added:" The program has been well received by schools and the number of participating schools in Eat Right & get Active program has increased over the past years from 36 schools in 2011 to 350 schools and nurseries in 2019. The schools participating in the program included 257 public schools, 48 private schools and 45 nurseries in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. All seminars targeted the first, second and third cycle. Where training courses were held on how to participate in the program and implement the desired changes within the school environment. In addition to the necessary follow-up and continuous support by the school health team and the center. The schools were also trained to conduct a basic behavioral questionnaire in addition to the pre- and post-program self-assessment, and focus groups were formed from the participating schools to collect feedback, comments and observations on the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Opportunities were developed and presented, and schools were encouraged to share their best practices.
