The UAE will mark World Food Day, organised by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today with the slogan "Fighting Hunger to End Poverty".

In an address, Saeed Mohammed Al Raqabani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, highlighted the UAE's contribution in the world's effort to secure food for all countries.

Al Raqabani said this year's slogan reflects the foundation of the agricultural policy adopted by the FAO in its general food programme.

He added that this year's slogan focuses on giving importance to hunger, pointing out that FAO reiterates the importance of fighting hunger as a first step to ease poverty and feed people to enable them to contribute to their countries' development activities.

"The UAE is pursuing scientific methods to achieve a high production rate and utilise arable lands to meet the local demand for food," he said, adding that the country offers food assistance to different people of the world in a bid to alleviate their suffering from natural disasters and wars, irrespective of their religion and race.

"We are proud of the comprehensive agricultural development attained in the UAE despite the scarcity of water resources and harsh climate. This mirrors the strong persistence of President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan," he said.

Many people in the world, he said, are facing hunger and poverty, and a global food initiative is desperately needed to help the deprived.

Locally, he called for increasing production to cover the domestic demand and help those in need.
A private hospital in the capital will today launch a food awareness programme to educate people on adopting a healthy diet.

A team of three doctors of Ahalia Hospital in Abu Dhabi comprising Dr Rajeev Gupta, Dr K.S. Mohanan and Dr Maria Shajil will deliver lectures on food related topics.

The lectures will be held on the first Friday of every month at 8.30am at the conference hall of the hospital, said Dr Gupta. The lectures will be free of cost and open to everybody.

The experts will also hold a practical demonstration on how to cook a low fat diet, a diabetic diet and a low salt diet.

He said the consumption of non-vegetarian food is high and due to the lack of physical exercise, obesity is fairly common even among UAE schoolchildren.

"These obese children have a higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart attack when they grow up."

There must be a healthy diet from childhood.

Dubai Municipality in cooperation with other government and private organisations, will hold a number of programmes under the slogan "We all have to observe food safety".

Assistant Director of the Public Health Department, who is also the Head of the Food Control Section at the municipality, Khalid Sharif, said lectures on various topics such as obesity will be held.

The lecture on obesity, which starts at 7pm will be at Dubai Municipality Club today. It will be followed by a workshop on "Lose your weight and gain health".

Information on food additives will also be given. Brochures on additives and colours used for cooking and healthy food will be distributed.

A 10-day advertisement campaign will be held on Dubai TV.

Sharjah Medical District will mark World Food Day with a series of lectures, which begin today and are mainly geared to schoolchildren.

Organised by the district's health education section, the first lecture will be held at Rolla Intermediate School for girls today at 10pm. It will be delivered by Mona Haway, a nutrition specialist at Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah.

Roshdi Abdulmoneim, a nutrition expert at Al Qasimi Hospital, will deliver a similar lecture today at Moaz bin Jabal School for boys. Another lecture will be held tomorrow at the Women's Society in Sharjah at 10pm. It will also be delivered by Mona Haway.

Mohammed Nayef Abed, Head of Sharjah Municipality's health education section, delivered a lecture about the importance of a nutritious breakfast every day to prevent illnesses such as anaemia, and to promote sound physical and mental growth.

The lecture was organised by Sharjah Municipality at Al Ghubaiba Secondary School for Girls on Saturday.