Obesity is dramatically on the rise in middle and high income countries. According to the Central Statistics Department of the Ministry of Health, over 30% of children suffer from overweight and obesity, which lead to several complications such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases that constitute the leading cause of death in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has the second highest prevalence of diabetes in the world, as almost a quarter of the population has diabetes of one form or another.

 

Prevention is the key strategy for reversing the current trend of obesity. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education in cooperation with UNICEF Gulf Area office have joint forces to address this major health problem through improving the quality of education by applying the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) in a number of schools in the UAE. There is mounting evidence that when schools take action to address health needs of students, they improve the children’s and adolescents’ health and wellbeing in addition to meeting performance goals as health is necessary for academic success.

 

The Coordinated School Health Program works toward long-term results and is designed to promote students success by helping students establish and maintain healthy personal and social behaviours, that will aid in decision making at school and later in life. This program helps schools to reinforce their capacities to promote health enhancing behaviours by adopting nutrition and physical activity policies to prevent child obesity and provide everyday practice of good health habits.

 

CSHP focuses attention on the priority areas for the most effective and efficient way to meet the health needs of young people and consists of eight components:

1. Health education

2. Physical education

3. Nutrition services

4. Consulting, psychological, social services

5. Health services

6. Parent and community involvement

7. Health promotion for staff

8. Parent and community involvement