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Stress on health policies to curtail lifestyle problems

Special unit at DHA to provide comprehensive services to students

Dubai: 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 lifestyle related health problems in children such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, said health officials.

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

The DHA’s special unit will provide health services to educational institutes and special needs centres in Dubai. — Supplied photo

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 Dubai.

The school health services for governmental schools in Dubai is overseen by the Ministry of Health.

The 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. School health regulations will continue to be under DHA’s health regulation department. Al Behandy added that there are eight main components of this programme that 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 behaviour 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.”

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.

“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.”

“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 programmes 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 programmes and campaigns, she highlighted that the school will offer a variety of health services such as childhood immunisation.

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

The school health unit has begun a mobile immunisation programme 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.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com