The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has honored partners of the Health Promotion Department in recognition of their crucial role in implementing and ensuring the success of health and wellbeing initiatives and programs.
Held at the Ministry’s headquarters, the honoring ceremony 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, as well as officials, MoHAP employees, representatives of strategic partners from government, private entities, and suppliers.
Through this initiative, MoHAP sought to strengthen institutional collaboration with partners to achieve its ambitious goals, foster health sector development, and improve the overall quality of healthy living. It also sought to highlight the significant role of partnerships in enhancing public health.
The event was organized as part of the Ministry’s comprehensive strategy focused on fostering positive collaboration, sharing knowledge and expertise, and stimulating innovation in disease prevention through awareness campaigns targeting different community groups.
Enhancing partnerships
During the ceremony's opening speech, HE Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand emphasized the Ministry's commitment to developing productive partnerships with strategic stakeholders from both the federal and local governments, as well as the private sector.
Al Rand noted that such partnerships provide solid ground for rolling out awareness campaigns tailored to improve health awareness, promote healthy behaviors among the population, and support the Ministry's strategic vision of creating a future where health and well-being are universally attainable.
He highlighted that achieving this vision depends on the collaborative endeavors of all relevant entities to address both current and impending health challenges. Hence, celebrating strategic partners is crucial, as they form an elite coalition of government and private institutions, acting as a cohesive and interconnected system, collectively pursuing a comprehensive suite of health objectives.
"Through this ceremony, we look forward to keeping our partners updated with the recent developments and methodologies adopted by the Health Promotion Department to refresh performance metrics and enhance services, so as to support the sustainable development agenda in accordance with MoHAP’s strategic plans," he further said.
Recognizing partners’ efforts
For her part, Nouf Khamis Al Ali noted that the Health Promotion Department operating under the umbrella of MoHAP’s Public Health Sector is committed to acknowledging the invaluable contributions of both partners and supporters, including those involved in the department's programs, projects, and health initiatives from various local, federal, and private sectors. The honor comes in recognition of their support of the department's awareness programs and activities throughout 2023. Additionally, Al Ali shed light on the department's achievements and its health awareness plan for 2024.
Lauding the productive and long-standing collaboration with partners across government and private sectors, Al Ali emphasized that the strategic partnerships celebrated today are vital to building a comprehensive and integrated health system.
“By leveraging shared capabilities and resources, these partnerships facilitate the launch of awareness initiatives and innovative health programs to enhance health awareness, foster positive health behaviors across the community, and execute sustainable health strategies tailored to the evolving needs of society,” Al Ali added.
The ceremony recognized 48 partners and supporters, including 32 private entities and 16 government bodies that supported health initiatives launched by the Health Promotion Department at the Ministry.
A flagship initiative by the Health Promotion Department is the third phase of the "Positive Healthy Work Environment - Check" program, which was launched to empower employers to enhance their employees' health and motivate them towards healthy living habits. This initiative also seeks to foster a health-supportive work environment. It has successfully engaged 25 federal and local government entities in its first two phases, with around 2,500 employees participating.
Additionally, the department initiated a public campaign to educate on the risks of smoking products and their public health implications, along with other initiatives targeting obesity prevention among children and adults, and various programs dedicated to improving community health.