Programme to promote improved health education in schools

Officials hope a Unicef-designed joint programme can help schools take a more interactive approach to teaching students about healthy lifestyles.

DUBAI // Health and education chiefs have called in experts from the United Nations children’s organisation to persuade young people to lead healthy lifestyles.

The Unicef initiative is the latest attempt to curb worrying levels of obesity and Type 2 diabetes among children.

Nearly 40 per cent of children aged 13 to 15 were overweight and 14.4 per cent were obese in 2010, according to the World Health Organisation. This age group has higher levels of obesity than any other in the UAE.

Experts from Unicef have designed the year-long School Health Education Project, which will be implemented by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, Seha, and the health and education ministries.

The scheme will target children aged 12 to 15 in 18 government schools. It aims to teach school nurses how to convince youngsters about the benefits of eating healthy food and leading an active lifestyle.

Ibrahim El Ziq, the Arabian Gulf area representative for Unicef, said it was vital to get children involved in discussions about their health, rather than just telling them what to do.

“Children want to be part of the discussion. We want to make sure children are part of the solution, not part of the problem,” he said.

Nasser Khalifa Al Budoor, the director of Dubai Medical District and director of the Minister of Health’s Office, said the country must urgently address children’s health problems.

“They need one message from the Government. This is what we are trying to do, inshallah, for our next generation,” he said.

One boys’ school and one girls’ school from each emirate, and from Al Ain and Al Gharbia, will take part in the pilot programme. When that ends next year, organisers will follow up with school nurses to finalise a manual and create a plan of action for all government schools. Eventually, private schools could be encouraged to introduce it too.

Mr El Ziq said the UAE project was similar to programmes in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which are in their early phases.

It could also take lessons from Unicef’s obesity prevention campaign, which used family discussions and focus groups, and the British chef Jamie Oliver’s school-lunch campaign in the UK.

“What we’ve learnt is that it does take time, because changing behaviour is not easy,” he said. “I think the crucial part is that you need to engage the family.”

The programme is also being supported by the telecoms company du. Hala Badri, its vice president of brand and communications, said the project complemented another du health campaign, Every Step Counts, which targeted the population as a whole.

“We are alarmed at the obesity levels and the diabetes levels here within the UAE and the wider region, and we would like to take a step towards at least educating and bringing it to the attention of the kids … and change their lifestyles,” she said.

Seha Ambulatory Healthcare Services and Abu Dhabi Education Council already operate a continuing-education course to improve school nurses’ understanding of issues that affect schoolchildren’s health. More than 400 public school nurses are expected to attend training sessions.