Sharjah24: The Health Promotion Department of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah announced the start of field visits to schools (public and private) that implement the Health Promoting Schools Programme standards approved by the World Health Organization and other organizations specialising in children and adolescents' health.

Iman Rashid Saif, Director of the HPD, Dr. Samar Al Feki from WHO, and several officials from educational and health authorities in the UAE attended the department's meeting.

Al Feki praised Sharjah’s pioneering role in promoting health among all members of society. She added that emirate is a distinctive place for implementing the health-promoting schools programme, noting the HPD and WHO are cooperating to update the standards of the healthy schools programme.

The new standards include several points, including government and school policies and resources, governance, school leadership, school and community partnerships, and the curriculum. The most important of these may be the social, emotional, and physical school environment and health services.