The Ministry of Health and Prevention hosted a regional expert meeting on healthy diet policies, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Dubai.
The meeting aimed to discuss the recent developments in the field of healthy diet policies at the regional level, with special emphasis on the UAE and GCC countries, in light of the Strategy on Nutrition for the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2020–2030.
The event was attended by HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, MoHAP, along with several senior officials and experts in the UAE’s health and other related sectors.
Also present were experts and representatives from the GCC states, with many other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region participating remotely. Dr. Ayoub Al Jawaldeh, Regional Adviser in Nutrition, and several international experts were also in attendance.
In addition to exploring ways to advance food system actions that support healthy diets, evaluating the latest guidelines and trends, and facilitating discussions on opportunities for collaboration, the meeting aimed to gain insights from international experiences in implementing the four key areas of work: food reformulation and processing, public food procurement, fiscal policies, and food labeling.
Along with assessing member states' support needs and opportunities for cooperation, the event also examined the experiences of countries in implementing policies in these four areas and informed member states of the latest guidelines issued by the WHO and its related initiatives.
H.E. Dr. Hussein Al Rand stressed that the UAE is committed to enhancing cooperation with the WHO Regional Office as part of its efforts to become one of the leading countries in the field of healthy food systems.
He noted that the UAE is working on various national programs and legislation aimed at promoting healthy food for individuals, reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases and malnutrition, and raising their quality of life. The implementation of these programs will contribute to reducing the costs of spending on disease treatment, ensuring the health of generations of children and adolescents, achieving food security for the country, raising the quality of life, and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Comprehensive Roadmap
HE Al Rand highlighted that the WHO regional meeting lays out a comprehensive roadmap to develop healthy and sustainable food systems that can lead to improved health indicators, prioritize prevention and reduce the incidence of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The UAE is committed to implementing international best practices to strengthen its healthy food systems and protect society from chronic diseases. To achieve a healthier and more sustainable future, the UAE will expand the scope of nutrition initiatives and follow international and regional policies and strategies to promote health and education in the field of nutrition, Al Rand added.
For her part, Nouf Khamis Al Ali, the Director of the Health Promotion Department, said that the Ministry, in collaboration with its strategic partners, has launched various initiatives and health education programs aimed at promoting nutrition awareness and healthy diets among the public. These initiatives are aligned with national strategies that support the objectives of the healthy nutrition agenda, with a focus on preventing diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.