DoH, ADPHC launch phase 2 of 'Towards a Healthy and Safe Society' initiative
ABU DHABI, 12th June, 2020 (WAM) -- As part of its efforts to improve the health level of residents in the Emirate and minimise the spread of the COVID-19, THE Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center launched on Friday, Phase 2 of the "Towards a Healthy and Safe Society" Initiative, which focuses on the campaign of "Educating Senior Citizens and Residents" in various regions of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This Initiative sees the cooperation of the Crown Prince Office, Abu Dhabi Councils, Martyrs’ Families Affairs Office, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Ministry of Education, Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, Community Development Department, Authority of Social Contribution (Ma’an), Family Development Foundation, and Abu Dhabi Media, which embodies the principle of partnership and social responsibility championed by the various State institutions.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of Department of Health Abu Dhabi said: "Our leadership has always placed senior citizens’ health and safety as a priority. Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior citizens have been given special attention and many efforts have been made to roll out a series of initiatives that caters to their needs. To that end, we are keen to make the senior citizens and residents the focus of the second phase of Towards a healthy and safe society campaign, with the ultimate goal to increase their health awareness levels and enable them to adopt the preventive precautionary measures that contribute to maintaining their health and safety."
In its second phase, the Initiative aims at focusing more on senior citizens and residents, who are considered the most vulnerable to complications related to COVID-19. It also focuses on population groups living outside the main cities of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, especially in remote areas not reached by health awareness messages through traditional means. It also includes, as part of its awareness-raising and procedural activities, coordination of COVID-19 tests needed for senior citizens in a number of centers designated for that purpose.
To communicate its educational messages aimed at raising the level of health awareness and strengthening preventive and remedial measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the campaign uses many media channels such as TV & radio, newspapers, social media, SMSs, voice messages, WhatsApp messages, and the display screens on ADNOC stations, with a focus on the means usually used by the targeted groups, which ADPHC will identify through a public questionnaire prepared in cooperation with a group of strategic partners.
The campaign also covers many field activities such as home visits by field medical teams and health awareness-raising messages that public health ambassadors and volunteers will spread in the community, the content of which aims at educating senior citizens about coronavirus-related preventive measures.
Phase 2 of the Initiative will last for three months, which can be extended or modified according to the needs and results of the targeted response, starting from June and ending on August. A questionnaire will then be conducted through various appropriate means in order to identify the extent of increasing health awareness in the community, the number of participants in awareness-raising activities, health education during the campaign, and the amount of materials published, in addition to identifying the percentage of community members’ satisfaction with the Campaign and the percentage of general achievement realised.
This phase of the "Towards a Healthy and Safe Society" Initiative is meant to further the efforts made by DoH and ADPHC to raise awareness and health education among residents of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and reduce the spread of the novel Coronavirus "Covid-19" in order to build a healthy and sound society and achieve advanced levels in combating the pandemic and enabling the residents of the Emirate to return to their normal lives.