Today's Edition
SHARJAH (ALETIHAD)
The Health Promotion Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in Sharjah has launched the "Wazin" programme, designed to foster healthy and supportive work environments across Sharjah’s government agencies. The initiative seeks to elevate health awareness among employees, promote healthier lifestyles, and establish a work environment that supports health, aligning with international best practices.
Iman Rashid Saif, the Director of SCFA's Health Promotion Department, said that "Wazin" is part of a broader effort to position Sharjah as a leading healthy city, regionally and globally. The programme, initiated under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi in 2017, features a detailed guide with 12 key criteria for creating a healthy workplace.
These criteria address various aspects including occupational safety, mental health, community involvement, in-office physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation, primary healthcare, support for parents, risk mitigation, emergency readiness, and accommodations for the elderly and disabled.
This guide, unprecedented in the region, aligns with Sharjah's vision to be a global leader inhealth. It builds on data from the first health survey of Sharjah government employees, which aimed to assess their health status and recommend improvements. The initial phase involved gathering this data, while the second phase included site visits to government entities, such as the Sharjah Municipality, to evaluate adherence to the programme's standards through performance indicators, random sampling, and interviews with managers.
Moreover, the "Wazin" programme introduces several initiatives to engage employees, including the "Wazin" challenge, which motivates employees to lose weight healthily, and an awareness campaign that disseminates health information via workshops, messages, and videos.
