EP youth to benefit from health awareness drive

Eastern Province Gov. Saud bin Naif inaugurated a heath education awareness forum called “Waee 2014” under the slogan “For Our Children” in Dammam on Sunday night.
The forum, which was organized by King Fahd Specialist Hospital, witnessed the participation of 22 international and local specialists. The speakers surveyed and discussed various issues related to the community’s health in general and the youth in particular. Specialists highlighted the need to develop healthy lifestyles among the youth and curb the prevalence of high-obesity levels and diabetes among the young generation.
Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Salhi, director general of Health Affairs in the Eastern Province, stated that they are currently seeking to develop plans and programs that will target schools to raise awareness about the threat of obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Maders, director general of the Department of Education in the Eastern Province, illustrated the importance of strengthening cooperation between his department and other sectors in the Kingdom in order to educate children about health issues.
For his part, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Shaibani, CEO of King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Dammam and the general supervisor of the forum, said the forum aims to initiate a culture of awareness among the youth, which stresses on the importance of developing healthy lifestyle habits. He added that such a culture could only be cultivated with the assistance of educators and community members that support and understand the importance of health. He pointed out that positive changes amongst the youth must be fostered inside and outside the house.