The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched “Mutabah” system, the UAE’s first online system of its kind to collect data on obesity and overweight among school students.
The programme was launched during the Arab Health 2020, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from January 27 to 30. It is in line with the ministry’s strategy aiming to provide comprehensive and integrated healthcare services using innovative and sustainable technologies that guarantee protection against diseases.
The “Mutabah” system accurately and quickly identifies overweight school students on an annual basis and provides information about student food patterns and the level of physical activity for each of them in addition to highlighting health behaviours that contribute to the prevention of overweight and obesity.
National Priority
H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al-Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics, said: “The online platform aims to create a future database on the prevalence of obesity among students given obesity is one of the top causes leading to noncommunicable diseases .It has indeed become a global health challenge over the past years as it results in great disease burden, hinders national development efforts, and adversely affect the level of life in society in addition to its growing financial costs.
“Reducing the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the UAE especially among school students is a top national priority and today, we launched the “Mutabah” platform to support national efforts and the goals of the National Programme to Combat Obesity in Children and Adolescents” said Al Rand.
Future priorities
“Mutabah” is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by the ministry to monitor and cut the rate of obesity among children and adults, which will eventually enhance the overall health of students nationwide”, said Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif, Director of Health Education and Promotion Department at MOHAP.
She noted that the system will help develop and carry out programs aimed at lowering the prevalence of overweight among children and school students. It will also contribute to setting future priorities and areas that will be focused on, according to which reports on obesity will be issued continuously.
She added that National Programme to Combat Obesity in Children and Adolescents represents a national framework governing various activities aimed at lessening the proportion of children with obesity, in line with the UAE Vision 2021.
