The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) has organized a training workshop targeting healthcare workers in the public and private sectors.
The training aimed to assess the growth of children under five years old to early detect potential health issues related to malnutrition, including overweight, obesity, wasting, and stunting.
The workshop focused on equipping parents with the necessary support and interventions to address these concerns promptly. The event, the second of its kind under the Child Growth Monitoring Programme, is part of the Ministry's ongoing initiatives designed to train healthcare providers in both the public and private sectors.
It aimed to enhance the capabilities and skills of healthcare workers in implementing the World Health Organization’s standards for child growth monitoring, develop effective nutrition procedures and improve the nutrition of all age groups, including infants and children.
The gathering was attended by HE Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, and Nouf Khamis Al Ali, Director of the Health Promotion Department at MoHAP.
Database
The three-day workshop, which was held at the Ministry's headquarters in Dubai, was attended by Nouf Khamis Al Ali, Director of the Health Promotion Department at MoHAP, as well as a number of healthcare providers from the government sector, including Emirates Health Services, Dubai Health, Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. This is in addition to Hospitals from the private sector, including Burjeel Hospital, Medcare, NMC Hospital and University Hospital Sharjah.
It targeted healthcare providers involved in measuring and assessing children's growth. The primary objective was to train participants to develop a comprehensive database for effectively monitoring the growth of children under five years old in the UAE, enabling necessary interventions to ensure the health of children at this age. Additionally, the event aimed to prepare qualified trainers, who could then train their colleagues to provide integrated childcare services.
The training programme covered various aspects, including measuring weight and height, interpreting growth indicators, investigating the causes of growth issues, and applying the skills learned through practical measurement of children who participated in the workshop. It also included presenting scenarios of medical cases and teaching participants how to provide medical advice appropriate to each case.
Improving efficiency of health system
HE Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, said: "The training workshop on monitoring the growth of children under the age of five is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to enhance community health and improve the efficiency of our health system. It aligns with our commitment to the National Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030. We've seen great involvement from healthcare providers, and it's just one of many steps we're taking to enhance the skills of our health staff. By bringing them up to speed with the latest in pediatric care, we're really investing in the health of our future generations. We're committed to keeping up these efforts to ensure the best possible healthcare for all kids.”
Improving quality of childcare
For her part, Nouf Khamis Al Ali said: “The Ministry of Health and Prevention is ramping up its efforts to establish surveillance systems and ensure early detection of potential health issues in children, such as malnutrition.”
She stressed that early intervention is crucial for the proper health and development of kids. “We really appreciate the involvement of all healthcare providers in this area. The Ministry is committed to continuing these workshops and training programs to enhance our health staff's capabilities, equipping them with top-notch knowledge to improve childcare quality nationwide,” Khamis added.
In October, the Ministry organized a training workshop for health workers in the UAE focused on collecting and analyzing data concerning the growth of children under the age of five. The event aimed to establish a unified national data collection system. It trained participants to examine and analyze the current nutritional data for this age group and to contribute to developing solutions for any identified challenges.