More health education needed for UAE schools: officials
Schools need 50% increase in health education programmes, official says
“Both private and government schools have to increase the number of health education programmes by 50 per cent. Depending on the age, health education programmes relating to oral hygiene, nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and tobacco, among others, should be implemented at schools,” she said.
When health education programmes are directed at parents, especially on open days, they learn to recognise contagious illnesses and ensure sick kids stay home, said Ola.
Further health education programmes — oral hygiene, tobacco or sexual abuse — should be developed effectively to suit different age groups, she said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), schools should focus on preventing leading causes of death, disease and disability like helminths (parasitic worms), tobacco use, HIV/Aids/STDs, sedentary lifestyle, drugs and alcohol, violence and injuries, and unhealthy nutrition.
Ola explained that school health programmes are significant as these are aimed at a large percentage of the population.
Explaining the current level of health education programmes, Sawsan Al Amiri, Specialist Health Programme and Nutrition Supervisor at the Ministry of Education, told Gulf News that unlike other countries, the UAE doesn’t have health education programmes as part of curricula.
“Schools use extra-curricular activity periods to teach health education. Efforts are under way to increase current levels, and to introduce health education in school curriculums,” she said.
Sawsan added that the health education theme of 2013 is hand hygiene and understanding how germs are transmitted.
“Our recent focus has been on reducing obesity levels and diabetes prevention,” she said.
Speaking to Gulf News, Ida Gracias, an Indian mother of a six-year-old boy, said that she would like to see her son learn more related to health at school.
“As working parents we don’t always get the time to regularly teach good health habits. I feel proud when my son reminds us about the healthy habits he learnt at school.”
