DUBAI, UAE – UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) hosted a regional expert meeting on healthy diet policies in Dubai.
The event was hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The meeting aimed to discuss recent developments in healthy diet policies, with a special emphasis on the UAE and GCC countries, in light of the Strategy on Nutrition for the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2020–2030.
Senior officials and experts from the UAE’s health and related sectors, as well as experts and representatives from the GCC states, attended the meeting.
Many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region participated remotely.
The meeting explored ways to advance food system actions that support healthy diets, evaluate the latest guidelines and trends, and facilitate discussions on opportunities for collaboration.
It 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.
The event assessed member states’ support needs and opportunities for cooperation and examined the experiences of countries in implementing policies in these four areas.
It informed member states of the latest guidelines issued by the WHO and its related initiatives.
Dr. Hussein Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Public Health Sector, MoHAP, stressed that the UAE is committed to enhancing cooperation with the WHO Regional Office to become one of the leading countries in healthy food systems.
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 the 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 and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
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, Al Rand added.
Nouf Khamis Al Ali, the Director of the Health Promotion Department, highlighted 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 people.
These initiatives are aligned with national strategies that support the objectives of the healthy nutrition agenda, with a focus on preventing illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.