His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali, UAE Minister of Health, today reiterated the role of government and private sector organisations in driving initiatives that raise the country’s social, economic, cultural, and healthcare standards. He also stressed on the need for active partnership between the private and government sectors for further advancing the UAE’s corporate social responsibility agenda and achieving the holistic engagement of all stakeholders.

His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali added that under the leadership of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE pursues a vision that considers its people as a core priority, and tailors its policies towards ensuring their well-being.

The remarks came at a press conference to mark the launch of the Healthy Family Initiative (HFI) under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Health and in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust – Middle East branch.

The Healthy Family Initiative will establish the region’s first comprehensive programme featuring a series of health education campaigns on issues such as diabetes, obesity, smoking cessation, safe pregnancy and child safety. The initiative also aims to provide families, healthcare professionals and other caregivers with the necessary information and training that will allow them to sustain healthy lifestyles through adopting preventive health behaviours and better managing chronic diseases such as diabetes.

His Excellency Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali added: “Education and empowering our families and communities with the right information to adopt the right behaviour is key to our efforts in facing these health challenges. We welcome this initiative, which complements the Ministry’s existing policies and programmes that seek to provide high quality health services to its citizens.”

The initiative will be carried out for an initial period of three years and specific measures will be put in place for assessing its impact and results. It will also be managed by a steering committee that will include a representative from the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust – Middle East branch as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health and other relevant partners. Diabetes will be one of the primary focus areas of the educational campaign that will also emphasize on the education, prevention and control of long-term associated health complications.

Wim Boogaerts, Chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust- Middle East, said: “For the past years, we have been working with different partners on these health issues, raising awareness and building healthcare capacity within the local communities where it is needed. We believe bringing all these efforts and resources under one umbrella would have a more sustainable impact. We hope with this initiative, together with our current and future partners, we are able to help children and families lead a healthier and happy life.”

Diabetes represents a major health concern in the UAE which is estimated to be as high as one in five, the second highest worldwide.

Earlier this year, the Juvenile Diabetes Education Centre (JDEC), the Emirates Diabetes Society and the UAE Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University launched the JDEC Multidisciplinary Diabetes Education Course, which aims to establish the first professionally certified and recognized diabetes educators in the UAE. Over 80 healthcare professionals who are involved in the management of diabetic patients, from both the public and private healthcare institutions across the UAE, are currently participating in this course which is due to end in March 2010.

This course has been established within the framework of a non-for-profit partnership between Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust - Middle East branch, the Emirates Diabetes Society and Sanofi-aventis’ social responsibility programme. Carried out in collaboration with the Diabetes Care Continuum (DCC) Ministry of Health and Dubai Health Authority, it will now be delivered as part of the overarching Healthy Family Initiative.