First 1,000 days vital to child's growth: Princesss Haya

Dubai - Summit focuses on importance of early nutrition.

The importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child's life was highlighted at the Growth and Development Summit, held under the patronage of Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Scientific evidence show that the nutrition a mother and child receive during the first 1,000 days, from conception until two years of age, can significantly influence health in adulthood and is a unique window of opportunity. Optimal nutrition during the first 1,000 days can reduce the occurrence of non-communicable diseases such as stunting, allergy, heart disease and diabetes in later life.
"Humaid Al Qattami (Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority), and his dedicated team at the DHA, have chosen to shed light on the topic of early nutrition which will shape the lives of the younger generation in our country and the region," said Princess Haya. "But more importantly, they are tackling a problem faced worldwide, and as such, I am deeply honoured to support their valuable and highly relevant work.
"We know that the first 1,000 days of a child's life is a time of most rapid growth in one's lifetime, and will shape their future health. A healthy 1,000 days changes the course of a child's life and has a significant impact on the individual's intellectual and physical development which thereby will help shape their role in society," added Princess Haya.
For his part, Humaid Al Qattami said: "The forum comes at a time when the World Health Organisation is calling on all countries to continue their efforts to decrease the number of childhood fatalities, which has reduced from 12.7 million children under the age of five in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013 worldwide."
"Advances in medicine and improvement in awareness levels have made this possible. The UAE already has a number of initiatives in place to promote mother and child health and the DHA spares no effort in making Dubai's society happier and this starts with mother and children as they are tomorrow's generation," added Al Qattami.
The DHA has introduced several initiatives such as the Tifli (my baby) app that provides information from preconception until the baby is two years and the Sehhaty (my health) app, which allows family members to keep track of their health. The DHA also joined hands with Nutricia to hold awareness campaigns about early life nutrition.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai