(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Obesity, smoking, diabetes and lack of physical activity have been identified as the main priorities that Dubai residents need to tackle head-on for their health, said a senior official of the Dubai Health Authority.
"And to work on these, we need to start from the most impressionable members of the society - the children," said Director of the Public Health and Safety Department Dr Muhammad Wasif Alam.
Health authorities want residents to take charge and make choices that promote good health under a new declaration on public health for the Arab world.
The 'Dubai Declaration on Public Health in the Arab World' was signed during the first Arab Conference on Public Health that took place recently.
Healthcare professionals are now discussing ways to begin implementing the steps laid down in the declaration.
"We want people to know that it is important that they eat good food and exercise right...we want to empower them and reduce their dependence on health services," he said.
Dr Alam also said a robust public health system minimised the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases and improved productivity of the population. "Nearly all GCC countries have the same kind of health issues...but all governments need to recognise the priorities and work accordingly."
DHA Director-General Essa Al Maidoor said: "The more countries spend wisely on public health, the less likely will be the occurrence of preventable illnesses and impaired health.
"The next step is adoption of the action points within the declaration. It is hoped that it will be implemented in all 22 countries of the Arab world including all GCC states through health ministries. We are presently working in this direction.
"We are, over the next few months, going to pay attention to all three crucial aspects of the declaration - healthcare system, networking and the community - so that we can collectively improve the health status of individuals, families and communities across the Arab countries."
The 10-point declaration was adopted by over 400 delegates and participants from 35 Arab and non-Arab countries. Public education, effective health systems, laws and policies will be tackled under the declaration.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.