Doha, Qatar - 12 October 2015

The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) announced the launch of the second phase of its "Our Future lies in Our Health" campaign, which aims to encourage all segments of society to lead a healthy lifestyle and abandon harmful daily habits among individuals and society as a whole.

The campaign involves healthcare institutions, experts and specialists in the healthcare field, as well as numerous activities and events that target all sectors of society through programs that suit different age groups within governmental and non-governmental organizations, shopping malls and commercial complexes, to support the campaign's goals and deliver the desired messages to all segments of society in the State of Qatar through the most efficient media and advertising platforms.

The "Our Future lies in Our Health" campaign focuses on three main aspects, the importance of healthy eating, physical activity and stopping smoking, through awareness messages that aim to support public health, promote preventive health and increase health education among people. The campaign also emphasizes on the role of youth in influencing their counterparts in the society and help them abandon the bad unhealthy habits.

Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Ahmed Bin Abdulla Al Khulaifi, Assistant Secretary-General for Administrative Affairs at the Supreme Council of Health, said: "The 'Our future lies in our health' campaign came to life after meticulous research on the general healthcare situation of the Qatari community and the challenges it is facing," stressing that "the aim of the public awareness campaign is to promote principles and behaviors that support the advancement of society and its health. Within the SCH's health awareness scheme, it is a priority to improve the overall healthcare sector and its services."

Al Khulaifi explained that the campaign was launched following numerous challenges facing the Qatari society. He indicated that based on the latest surveys done in Qatar during the past few years where figures showed that the local obesity rate reached 41%, and the smoking rate among Qatari youth within the 13-15 year age bracket reached 15.7%, which requires the intensification of awareness-raising efforts to urge the population to abandon their daily unhealthy habits and get committed to a healthier pattern.

In this regard, Al Khulaifi mentioned the strategic collaboration between the SCH and other relevant institutions in the State of Qatar to fight against unhealthy habits and the diseases resulting from them, to which the State is investing large sums of money to eliminate. He assured that health education programs focus on covering all health aspects of the individual from physical and psychological to social facets, in alignment with the vision and mission of the Supreme Council of Health.

"Our Future lies in Our Health" campaign comes as part of the Supreme Council of Health's vision to build a healthy future for the Qatari community and promote health education among community members, in line with its plans to support the Human Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy (NHS).

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© Press Release 2015