The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center yesterday launched "Towards a Healthy and Safe Society" Initiative. The program intends to focus on educating senior citizens and residents in Abu Dhabi. The program attempts to improve the health of Emiratis and residents and arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus.

This Initiative has been designed in collaboration with 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.

The head of the Health Department, Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, said the Initiative is an example of our leadership, which treats senior citizens' health and safety as a priority. With the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior citizens have been given special attention. Many measures have been rolled by the health department to meet their particular needs.

The Initiative has been designed to specifically increase health awareness among seniors and enable them to adopt precautionary steps that contribute to their health and safety.

Senior citizens and residents have been identified as one of the most vulnerable groups to get infected by Coronavirus. The program is meant to reach out to groups living outside the urban areas of Abu Dhabi, and those settled in remote areas. There would be designated test centres for COVID-19 tests for seniors coordinated by the health department.

The Initiative will run campaigns to spread awareness by using platforms like TV & radio, newspapers, social media, SMSs, voice messages, WhatsApp messages. Display screens on ADNOC stations will be put up.

The Department will also organize field activities such as home visits by medical teams. Public health ambassadors and volunteers will spread messages about preventive measures in the community.

This Initiative will remain active for three months, starting in June and will be modified depending on the current situation and response.

For feedback on the success of the program, questionnaires will be circulated among the target audience.

The end result of this Initiative is to combat the virus and help people to get back to healthy lives.

 WAM