‘Budget formed regarding food provided to students’

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 12: A nutritionist from Department of Awareness and Promotion of Community Health and Nutrition in the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN) Nawal Al-Jazzaf announced that the authority, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education, is currently working on developing school canteens, reports Al-Anba daily. In a statement issued on the sidelines on an event held to mark the International Children’s Day during which PAFN held several activities with the cooperation of Yarmouk Health Zone, Al-Jazzaf said such a development is based on the data obtained from the studies approved by the Ministry of Health, which showed that the phenomenon of obesity begins in children at the school age.

Al-Jazzaf affirmed that a budget has accordingly been formed regarding the food provided to students in schools. She explained that PAFN is adopting studies through the Nutritional Surveillance Program of the Ministry of Health, in addition to the assessment that was presented with school students in coordination with the Ministry of Education, as the evaluation of the program was a part of the campaign to combat obesity among school students. Accordingly, a project was prepared for the development and improvement of school canteens and the list of foods and drinks that will be added within a list approved by the Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basil Al-Sabah.

Al-Jazzaf said, “There are statistics issued by the Ministry of Health after which the awareness campaign for school students was intensified. There is the problem of obesity as well as a problem of high blood sugar among students and adolescents. For this reason, lectures and workshops have been activated to modify the health status”. During the event, Al-Jazzaf said, “The United Nations represented by UNICEF celebrates World Children’s Day on November 20 every year. The slogan for this year’s celebration was “A better future for every child” Among the provisions of children’s rights is access to health care and proper nutrition. Through the Department of Awareness and Promotion of Community Health and Nutrition, we participated in a lecture with the cooperation of Yarmouk Health Zone.