DHA primary healthcare sector establishes health unit for schools and educational institutes.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 8, 2014: The Dubai Health Authority(DHA) has set up a dedicated health unit for schools and educational institutes.

The unit has been set up to provide comprehensive health services to private sector schools, all educational institutes and special needs centres for children in the Emirate of Dubai. The school health services for governmental schools in Dubai is overseen by the Ministry of Health. 

The DHA’s dedicated  school health unit will provide comprehensive health services for children and university students with an aim to improve their health and in many cases the health of their family members as well. School health regulations will continue to be under DHA’s health regulation department.

Dr Nusaiba Al Behandy, Acting Head of Health Unit at DHA for Schools and Educational Institutes, said: “ The aim of setting up this unit is to bring all school and university health programs under one section so as to provide a host of comprehensive health services to children and university students.”

Al Behandy added that there are eight main components of this program. They include health education, physical education, health services, nutrition services, psychological counselling and social services, 
promotion of healthy and safe school environment, health promotion for staff and family/community involvement.

She said: “Establishing healthy behaviours during childhood is easier and more effective than trying to change unhealthy behaviours during adulthood. School health plays a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviour patterns

Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviour. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity patterns.”

She added that school health policies, nutrition, health education, and physical exercise(PE) classes in schools are all components that are needed to help curtail the prevalence of life-style related health problems in school children such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dr Hamid Hussein, senior specialist registrar in family and community medicine, primary healthcare sector at the DHA, said: “ In 2009 we carried out a health survey across all private schools in Dubai and the results showed that 35 per cent of school children were either obese or overweight and that 76 per cent took part in physical exercise classes. There is a need to reduce the number of obese children and increase the number of kids that take part in PE classes.

“Since 2009, the DHA has carried out several health educational programs including introducing a series of policies on healthy eating in cooperation with relevant authorities like Knowledge and Human Development Authority(KHDA), Dubai Municipality etc. 

This year, we aim to repeat the survey to see where Dubai school children stand in terms of their health.”

Dr Al Behandy added: “Schools are in a unique position to promote healthy eating and help ensure appropriate food and nutrient intake among students. It is our message to schools to adhere to all health regulations, to be more involved in promoting a healthy environment. Our message to parents is that they must promote a healthy environment at home because children look up to their parents and parents need to be role models of healthy eating and exercise.”

She added that childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being. “Obese youth are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure later on in life. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem.”

She added the unit will carry out comprehensive school health education programs  for students in pre-K through grade 12 as well as for students in universities to  address a variety of topics such as healthy eating/nutrition, personal hygiene, mental and emotional health, personal health and wellness, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, tobacco use, and violence prevention.

In addition to awareness programs and campaigns, she highlighted that the school will offer a variety of health services such as childhood immunization.

She said: “Ensure your child is up-to-date with this vaccination program before the beginning of a new academic year. Ensure you follow the immunization schedule all through the child’s schooling years.”

The school health unit has begun a mobile immunization program for schools who request the DHA for this service. “We will send a team of health professionals in school premises and they will provide vaccinations in the school for children who have consent from their parents,” said Al Behandy.