The programme aims to provide a health-supportive environment for all members of society in shopping centres, to maintain the health of the population and raise health awareness.
Field visits that will continue until August, are conducted to evaluate whether shopping centres implement standards of “Health-Promoting Shopping Centres” programme, which include opening the doors of shopping centres at least one hour before official working hours to provide the opportunity and encourage community members to walk inside the shopping centre, especially during periods of extreme heat and cold, in addition to implementing legislation to ban smoking of all kinds in closed areas in shopping centres, implementing health requirements for food safety in the centre’s restaurants, providing healthy options on menus, and participating in health awareness for the community by implementing two health activities per year in cooperation with the Health Promotion Department or other health authorities.
The health-promoting shopping malls programme will be promoted inside the mall and through the mall’s social media. The programme will also train security personnel on first aid, provide a first aid room, ensure a designated ambulance parking spot marked with a sign for emergency cases, and provide service facilities for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with special needs. The department also prioritises environmental conservation by providing recycling containers or eco-friendly bags in stores, in addition to supporting and encouraging breastfeeding by providing rooms designated for mothers in shopping malls.
Iman Rashid, Director of the Health Promotion Department, confirmed that the launch of the "Health-Promoting Shopping Centres" programme comes within the framework of the Health Promotion Department's efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage individuals to practice physical activity as a preventive lifestyle, by providing an environment that supports healthy behaviours, to maintain health and prevent diseases.
Iman Rashid stressed that shopping centres are useful and important places to implement health activities, as they are visited by a large number of people on a daily basis, especially during holidays, summer and various occasions. She added that it is an opportunity to target shopping centres employees and shop owners, noting that it is important to achieving community partnership in all sectors, whereas the department works to cooperate with various stakeholders, including the private sector and community institutions, to ensure the success of the programme and achieve its goals.
It is worth noting that the Health Promotion Department worked on studying the project that achieved remarkable success in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as the department met with the Kingdom of Bahrain to present their experience in implementing the healthy shopping centres project and studying its adoption and implementation in the Emirate of Sharjah. At this stage shopping centres participating in the programme are evaluated, including City Centre Al Zahia, Mega Mall, Zero 6, Sahara Centre, City Centre Sharjah, Al Rahmaniya Mall, Al Suwaidi Mall and Kalba Mall. The evaluation will start with City Centre Al Zahia on Thursday, July 25, 2024. The following entities will participate in the evaluation of the programme criteria:
o Health Promotion Department
o Sharjah Health Authority
o Sharjah Health Authority - Sharjah Child and Youth Friendly Office
o Prevention and Safety Authority
o Sharjah Municipality
o Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI)
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