UAE: Nutrition strategy to combat obesity and encourage healthy eating

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) has launched the National Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030 which aims to create healthier school settings and coordinate efforts to encourage healthy eating habits.

Nouf Khamis Al Ali, Director of Health Promotion Department at Mohap, said during the launch that the strategy will support the federal efforts to reduce childhood obesity and boost maternal and child health.

Also attending the National Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030 launch at the Etihad Museum were Salem Al Darmaki, Advisor to the Minister of Health and Prevention, and representatives of 22 government and private entities, including strategic partners from various sectors such as health, education, municipalities, trade, industry, agriculture, economy and the food industry.

The strategy aims at establishing sustainable nutritional systems, providing safe and supportive nutritional environments at all ages, and strengthening food governance. It is part of Mohap’s ongoing efforts to support the UAE’s visions aimed at improving the health of younger generations, achieving food security, and raising the quality of life and its sustainability.

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Five strategic targets were outlined during the launch: Developing sustainable and flexible food systems for healthy diets, providing health systems and comprehensive coverage of basic nutrition measures, offering social protection and nutrition education, providing safe and supportive environments for nutrition at all ages, and following an advanced food strategy.

Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, emphasised that the National Nutrition Strategy lays out a comprehensive road map for the development of a healthy food system based on sustainable practices and a participatory approach that incorporates a broad range of strategic partners.

"We look forward to achieving the healthy nutrition goals for all sectors of society through this plan while also delivering health care services of top-notch quality,” he said, adding that the ministry's collaboration with numerous stakeholders in putting the strategy into practice will help achieve the long-term objectives of creating a sustainable health system in a way that ensures the health and well-being of individuals and boosts the sustainable development of our society as a whole.

“Mohap is committed to implementing the strategy in collaboration with other stakeholders, using clear coordination channels, and basing all policies on the "One Health" concept. We will make every possible effort to decrease the prevalence of diseases connected to lifestyle and enhance the results of national health indicators,” said the minister.

Driven by the National Strategy for Wellbeing and “We the UAE 2031” Strategy, he said the nutrition strategy would help improve data based on specific criteria for monitoring progress and evaluating results, he added.

Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, emphasised that the National Nutrition Strategy was designed to complement other strategies launched by the UAE to improve the nutritional status, including the National Food Security Strategy 2051, National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, the Global Goals for Noncommunicable Diseases 2025, the Global Nutrition Goals 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, in addition to the national framework to combat obesity in the UAE and the National Guidelines for Preconception Care.

“The implementation of this strategy will certainly lead to bolstering the health and well-being of the UAE people and future generations of all ages,” Al Rand noted adding that it will not only improve the UAE’s nutritional status, but will also help establish supportive healthy food environments and promote healthy food choices based on tried and tested solutions.

Al Darmaki stressed that the overall objective is to provide a universal access to healthy and sustainable diets, and develop effective nutrition actions to improve nutrition for all age groups, including mothers, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. This is in addition to preventing all forms of malnutrition and addressing diet-related risk factors.

Meanwhile, Nouf underscored that the strategy will build on the progress made by previous strategies, programmes and other complementary policies as it adopts data-based interventions and programs to create an environment conducive to good nutrition and develop implementation solutions for optimal infant and child nutrition.

Dr Ayoub Al Jawaldeh, Regional Adviser in Nutrition, WHO, lauded the ministry’s strategy, and said that it will improve the nutritional status of the UAE population. He said that launching this strategy reflects the commitment of the UAE health authorities and stakeholders to address nutritional challenges and achieve the World Health Assembly goals to reduce nutrition and non-communicable diseases and the sustainable development goals.

• UAE
• Dubai