The officials said that the WHO accreditation further enhances the emirate's position as a global beacon for healthcare and reflects the results of a cumulative work system in which all stakeholders in the Emirate participated in providing world-class services and sound health standards, placing health at the top of the social, economic and development agenda and ensuring the wellbeing of all citizens and residents.
Abdullah Al-Muhayyan, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority, congratulated His Highness Ruler of Sharjah on the achievement, which the emirate is keen to maintain in the interest of its residents and a healthy and secure future for them and their children. He pointed to the continuous support of His Highness the Sharjah Ruler and his direct interest in the health sector, which contributed to maintaining the title of Sharjah as a WHO Healthy City.
Al-Muhayyan praised the efforts of the WHO to re-evaluate the candidature of Sharjah as part of the Healthy Cities Program, and this comes through an elaborate strategy drawn up by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, pointing to the positive impression of the WHO delegation during the evaluation carried out by the team. The WHO team considered Sharjah as distinguished model to be emulated in other countries and cities.
The Chairman of the Sharjah Health Authority also commended the efforts of the teams that have spared no effort to retain the title with full marks under the nine assessment axes. He pointed out that Sharjah is the first city in the Middle East and North Africa, which succeeded in meeting the conditions and criteria for the programme. It has become a reference for other cities being evaluated in the Healthy Cities Program.
Dr. Abdulaziz bin Butti Al Muhairi, Director of the Sharjah Health Authority, and Chairman of the Executive Committee for Expanding the Healthy Cities in Sharjah, congratulated Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Sharjah Executive Council, on the Emirate winning the title of WHO Healthy City once again. The Crown Prince has been continuously monitoring everything related to the health and medical field and the provision of a decent life for everyone in the Emirate.
“The title is not limited to the health sector, but rather an integrated system of standards, services, and initiatives that improve the quality and lifestyle of all members of society, in all aspects, including increasing green spaces, providing walking paths, and preserving buildings, heritage, reviving markets, and suburbs, among others,” he pointed out.
Al Muhairi stressed that the emirate has become a beacon of healthcare in the region, praising the cooperation of all stakeholders in the Emirate to prepare the file for the nomination, leading up to the preparation of facilities for the evaluation process, theoretical sessions, and field visits, in addition to joining the Sharjah Document Program as an application tool launched by the committee to confirm the institutions’ adoption of the nine standards for healthy cities.
Sheikha Najla Al Mualla, Director of the Central Laboratories Department in Sharjah City Municipality, and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee for Expanding the Healthy Cities Network in Sharjah added that the Emirate’s winning the title contributed to enhancing communication between the public and private sectors in various fields, whether the quality of life or environmental sustainability.
The Sharjah Municipality, in cooperation with strategic partners, has adopted work on these axes through several initiatives, most notably increasing green areas in the Emirate, establishing environmentally friendly parks and sustainable cities, recycling waste, and producing energy from it.
She lauded the implementation of the food safety programme as a success story due to the interest in changing the behaviour of food handlers in food establishments.
She talked about the field visits made by the WHO teams and the admiration they expressed over the management of facilities like the Jubail Market, and the strict control over the working mechanism by government and private agencies. They also visited the municipal laboratories in Sharjah to learn about the latest methods for detecting food and water pollutants. They also visited the Bee'ah, Sharjah’s flagship environment conservation and waste management company, to know about the process of waste recycling and energy production in the Emirate.
Brigadier General Abdullah bin Nassar, Deputy Director-General of Resources and Support Services at the Sharjah Police General Command, and member of the Executive Committee for Expanding the Network of Healthy Cities in Sharjah, congratulated the emirate on obtaining the title for the second time in a row, which he considered a unique model.
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