The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, is joining the world countries and food security organizations in celebrating World Food Day which falls on 16 October.
World Food Day 2020 takes place this year in very unprecedented circumstances due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the global need for ensuring sustainable healthy nutrition systems and maintaining the natural resources and biodiversity.
In a bid to improve the nutritional status of community members based on a collective vision for a healthier and sustainable future, MoHAP had launched last year the National Nutrition Strategy and the National Nutrition Guidelines in cooperation with 18 public authorities. The goal is to reduce chronic and malnutrition diseases, curb infectious disease-related morbidities and mortalities, and encourage the people to engage in physical activity as a complement to food safety.
The implementation of the National Nutrition Strategy would help decrease treatment costs and ensure the health of the next generations, as well as achieve food security and improve the quality and sustainability of life.
“The National Nutrition Strategy is a unique important reference for food-related public and private institutions, while the National Nutrition Guidelines constitutes a reference for food awareness and education for both individuals and public and private institutions to regulate food behavior and follow health and balanced lifestyle to prevent diseases that affect their life, including chronic diseases, malnutrition, and obesity, especially among children and women,” said HE Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Director-General of the Emirates Health Services Corporation, “The strategy aims primarily to develop sustainable solutions to nutritional and health challenges.”
“The implementation of the strategy will contribute to reducing the prevalence of chronic and malnutrition diseases to ensure the health and safety of community members, leading to an increase in the competitiveness of health, education, innovation, and quality of life,”
Al-Serkal added: “MoHAP offers a wide range of preventive and curative nutrition services supportive of the patient treatment plan in hospitals. This comes as part of MoHAP’s plans to improve the quality of nutrition services provided to patients.”
“All patients in hospitals receive appropriate therapeutic nutritional care, thanks to the presence of well-qualified nutritionists who assess and diagnose the nutritional status, and nutritional intervention prior to providing the nutritional advice with the constant follow-up,”
Al-Serkal underlined that all food services are provided according to the highest international standards and various international accreditation certificates in food safety, especially during Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of patients, pointing out that MoHAP is currently working on developing an E-system for food services according to the highest international standards.