SHARJAH GOVERNMENT MEDIA BUREAU - SHARJAH, April 17, 2019 - The Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in Sharjah held its fifth meeting on Monday at Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) to discuss the progress in implementing the expansion of healthy cities criteria in the Emirate. The meeting was chaired by Dr Abdulaziz Al Muhairi, SHA Director and Head of Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in Sharjah.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Abdullah Al Muhayan, Chairman of Sharjah Health Authority, said: "Thanks to the efforts of all its bodies and to those of the Executive Committee, Sharjah has become a successful example for cities around the world, reinforcing its position as a WHO Healthy City in line with its efforts to achieve sustainable development under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah."

Dr Abdulaziz Al Muhairi lauded the Committee’s efforts to come up with innovative plans and initiatives to establish Sharjah as a model healthy city in the comity of nations, reflecting its qualitative achievements since its crowning as the region’s first WHO Healthy City. "The Emirate has met highest healthcare standards, enhancing its pioneering role and achieving its human-centred goals," emphasised Dr Al Muhairi.

The meeting reviewed the positive results reported by the Internal Audit Committee of the expansion of healthy cities criteria in the Emirate. The Internal Audit Committee had assessed the performance of the Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in Sharjah, while observing updates on the Sharjah Healthy City file and discussing expansion of healthy cities plans with members of the Executive Committee.

Dr Al Muhairi stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships with local and private entities, confirming that it would help expand Sharjah's title as a healthy city to cover other suburbs in the Emirate.

Members of the Executive Committee discussed strategic media plans aimed at unifying media messages and enhancing the media presence of the Emirate in local and international forums. Moreover, members of the Executive Committee outlined proposals to highlight the success stories and outstanding initiatives that placed Sharjah on the world’s map.

The Healthy Cities Programme is a dynamic movement and a platform for cross-sectoral collaboration in light of the commitment of all political bodies at the city’s level, with the aim of creating organisational structures to implement operations and formulate a common vision for the city, with a focus on public health development to build networks and partnerships within the programme.

The World Health Organization (WHO) formally declared Sharjah a Healthy City in September, 2015.  According to WHO, a Healthy City is one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environments and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential.

The Government of Sharjah has been working to expand the WHO Healthy City programme criteria to other cities and areas of the Emirate.