Sharjah hosts workshop as part of ongoing efforts in healthcare transformation with Healthy Cities Programme
As part of its continuous efforts to adopt and apply global health standards, the Executive Committee for the Expansion of Healthy Cities Program in Sharjah held a workshop on Monday. 105 government representatives from various cities in the Emirate, including Khorfakkan, Kalba, Al Dhaid, Al Madam, Mleiha, Dibba Al Hisn, Al Hamriya, and Al Batayeh, attended the event.
The head of the Executive Committee and chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), Abdulaziz Al Muhairi, emphasized the importance of the workshop in promoting cooperation amongst government agencies.
He said, “The Expansion of Healthy Cities initiative reflects Sharjah’s vision to place community health at the core of sustainable development, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.”
World Health Organization (WHO) regional specialist Samar El-Feky gave a thorough summary of the WHO’s Healthy Cities Programme, emphasising the need of tackling socioeconomic determinants of health as the cornerstone for attaining universal health coverage.
She also praised Sharjah’s commitment and unwavering efforts to carry out the initiative, calling the emirate a “regional pioneer” in the application of Healthy Cities guidelines.
El-Feky said that the Healthy Cities Programme is focused on developing spaces that foster the physical, social, and emotional well-being of people and communities.
The program’s 80 focal areas and nine fundamental pillars, which span from health education, food security, and disaster preparation to community participation and cross-sector cooperation, form the basis of its implementation across the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development presented its recently created digital platform, which is intended to gauge adherence to the program’s requirements, during the session. The platform seeks to provide precise and open data to support strategic decision-making and progress tracking.
In order to create action plans specific to their towns, participants also participated in interactive workshops. Split up into working groups, they examined potential, analyzed regional issues, and looked for methods to improve collaborations.
