In a bid to elevate the quality of healthcare for children, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has introduced several new initiatives aimed at equipping school health staff with the latest knowledge and skills, the most recent of which is a series of training workshops focused on monitoring and detecting childhood obesity.
Conducted in support of the National Program to Combat Obesity among Children and Adolescents, the four-day workshops provided specialized training for school nurses and physical education support staff on accurately recording anthropometric measurements for students aged five to 17 years. They were held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Dubai, the Teacher Training Institute in Ajman, and Sharjah.
“MoHAP is committed to developing an initiative-taking approach for addressing health challenges and reinforcing the country’s position as a leading model in preventive health care both regionally and globally,” said Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant undersecretary for the Public Health Sector.
In particular, the workshops sought to develop standardized protocols for collecting and analyzing data related to early obesity indicators. This, in turn, could enhance preventive health policies by providing more accurate scientific evidence for informed decision-making.
Additionally, the workshops were a mix of interactive activities and theoretical lectures designed to establish clear concepts and procedures to ensure the accuracy of data entry. They also focused on preparing the participants to become trainers themselves.
“Early intervention is key to keeping kids healthy, and the Ministry is committed to organizing such workshops and training programs to improve the quality of school health data. Better data means better health care for students, which in turn positively impacts their overall health and academic performance,” Nouf Khamis Al Ali, director of the Health Promotion Department, said.
