Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, March 24, 2015:The Task Force mandated to steer the national campaign Healthy Children 2021 organized a number of awareness activities targeting schoolchildren and parents across the UAE.

Senior officials in the UAE federal and local government entities as well as private sector took part yesterday in an awareness march Lets Walk that took place in Al Majaz Park in Sharjah. The event, part of the National Program for Government Communication (NPGC), aims to enhance positive and healthy lifestyle among UAE nationals and residents.

The campaign activities, which were launched mid-January and will end mid April,areencouraging sports groups and families, including youth and children, to take up group walking in selected places across the country.

As part of the campaign, health information has been distributed in an innovative mannerin Abu Dhabi Corniche, Al Barsha Pond Park in Dubai, Al Khawaneej Park in Dubai, JumeirahCorniche in Dubai, Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah,Ajman Corniche and Al QawasimCorniche in Ras Al Khaimah. The campaign aims to encourage people to exercise daily, and will organize events in schools and shopping malls.

Dr. Hussein Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for HealthCentres and Clinics, Chairperson of the Healthy Children 2021 Task Forcesaid: The program seeks to implement a nation-wide action plan, with set timeframe and evaluation indicators, to create the appropriate environment to encourage individuals and families to adopt a healthy lifestyle to deal with the challenge of obesity, which has become one of the serious diseases in developed societies. We are working in cooperation with partners to implementtargeted awareness campaigns that include a variety of events to raise educateabout healthylifestyle among children.
Dr. Al Rand lauded the support of various entities to this initiative, which has contributed positively in encouraging members of the public in adopting healthy lifestyles.

On the other hand, the Healthy Children 2021 Task Force organized a number of awareness activities among Lets run campaign for Eastern Region students, in cooperation with Dibba Al Fujairah Hospital, Fujairah Educational Zone, and Dibba Fujairah Sports Club.

The activities included holding a workshop titled: Heroes meals to educate school students how to prepare a healthy meal, educate about healthy lifestyle which will enrich the students personality physically, mentally and psychologically.

In addition, a Lets run activity was organized at Dibba Fujairah Sports Club where it witnessed massive participations from schools such as ZubaidabintJaafarPrimary School, Um Hakim Al AnsareiahPrimary School. Director of Dibba Fujairah HospitalKhamisRabee Sinan and Board Member of DibbaFujairah Sports Club Khalifa Saeed Abdullah Al Dhanhanijoined the activity among other hospital staff and parents.

The national campaign Healthy Children 2021 is one of the main pillars of theNational Program for Government Communication that is guided by the National Agenda and UAE Vision 2021. It dedicates a pillar to address obesity among children in the UAE: it aims to reduce obesity levels to 12% by 2021. The pillar aims to foster efforts to promote lifestyles in the UAE community, which require focusing on children who are the cornerstone in any community.

Upcoming events of the national campaign are postedonsocial media platforms on Twitter, Instagram and Youtube: ngcp2021 or websites: www.healthychildren2021.ae and www.npgc2021.ae