The World Health Organization, cooperates with the Food Bank to launch the “Partnership for Healthy Cities” initiative

This week on Monday, witnessed the launch of the ‘Partnership for Healthy Cities' initiative in a selection of government primary schools in Cairo Governorate. This initiative is a joint effort between the World Health Organization, the Ministries of Health and Population, Education and Technical Education, Cairo Governorate, and the Egyptian Food Bank. Its aim is to safeguard citizens' health from non-communicable diseases by providing the necessary equipment and supplies for school canteens to offer healthy food options.

The inauguration was attended by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, Major General Khaled Abdel Aal, Governor of Cairo,  Dr. Nima Abid, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Egypt and Mohsen Sarhan, CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank.

In conjunction with the initiative launch, the Egyptian Food Bank will provide healthy foods, adhering to food safety standards, operate the school canteen, and conduct interactive activities to promote health messages in selected schools, as part of EFB's 'School Nutrition' program. This program plays a crucial role in EFB’s prevention pillar initiatives aimed at preventing malnutrition in newborns and children up to 12 years old. It focuses on transitioning from treatment-oriented policies to preventive measures, targeting the reduction of food insecurity.

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, stated that the 'Partnership for Healthy Cities' program aligns with the ministry's and the Egyptian government's efforts to improve the health of future generations. This includes the launch of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's initiative to combat obesity, anemia, and stunting among children in schools, among other initiatives and programs aimed at fostering a disease-free future.

As part of the initiative, the World Health Organization assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of students, teachers, and the school community regarding healthy nutrition. Based on the assessment results, educational materials were designed and prepared to raise awareness among the school community about healthy nutrition, along with a wide range of interactive educational games for children.