The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has honoured the partners of the Health Promotion Department, in recognition of their crucial role in implementing and ensuring the success of health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes.

The honouring ceremony, held at the ministry’s headquarters, was attended by Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary 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 the honouring, the ministry aims to strengthen its cooperation with its partners, to achieve its ambitious goals, foster health sector development, and improve the overall quality of healthy living. It also aims to highlight the significant role of partnerships in improving public health.

The event was organised as part of the ministry’s comprehensive strategy focussed on fostering positive collaborations, sharing knowledge and expertise, and stimulating innovation in disease prevention, through awareness campaigns targeting different community groups.

During the ceremony’s opening speech, Dr. Al Rand highlighted the ministry's commitment to developing productive partnerships with strategic stakeholders from both the federal and local governments, as well as the private sector.

Such partnerships provide solid ground for rolling out awareness campaigns that aim to improve health awareness, promote healthy behaviour among the population, and support the ministry's strategic vision to create a future where health and well-being are universally attainable, he added.

Realising this vision depends on the collaborative endeavours of all relevant entities to address both current and impending health challenges, so celebrating strategic partners is crucial, as they form an elite coalition of government and private institutions that act as a cohesive and interconnected system, collectively pursuing a comprehensive series of health objectives, he further added.

“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, enhance services and support the sustainable development agenda, in line with MoHAP’s strategic plans,” Dr. Al Rand said.

Al Ali said the Health Promotion Department, operating under the umbrella of the MoHAP’s Public Health Sector, is committed to acknowledging the invaluable contributions of both partners and supporters, including those involved in the department's programmes, projects, and health initiatives from the local, federal, and private sectors. The honour comes in recognition of their support for the department’s awareness programmes and activities throughout 2023, she added, highlighting the department’s achievements and health awareness plan for 2024.

Lauding the productive and long-standing collaboration with partners across government and private sectors, she stressed 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 behaviours across the community, and execute sustainable health strategies tailored to the evolving needs of society,” Al Ali said.

The ceremony recognised 48 partners and supporters, including 32 private entities and 16 government bodies that supported health initiatives launched by the ministry’s Health Promotion Department.

A flagship initiative by the Health Promotion Department is the third phase of the “Positive Healthy Work Environment-Check” programme, which was launched to empower employers to enhance their employees’ health and motivate them towards healthy living habits. The initiative also aims to foster a health-supportive work environment and has successfully engaged 25 federal and local government entities over its first two phases, with the participation of some 2,500 employees.

Additionally, the department launched a public campaign to highlight the risks of smoking products and their public health implications, along with other initiatives targeting obesity prevention among children and adults, and various programmes dedicated to improving community health.