OPEN CALL - Amazon Web Services



Call for lessons and good practices on investments for healthy food systems right698500Template for submissions (Approximately 1000 words in total)Please use this?submission form?to share your examples and experiences on investments promoting healthy food systems for improved nutrition. ?For the necessary background and guidance, please refer to the topic note: fsnforum/activities/open-calls/investments_healthy_food_systems You can upload the completed form to the FSN Fourm fsnforum or send it via email to fsn-moderator@.Proponent Dr. Al-Anoud Mohammed Al-Thani Manager, Health Promotion & NCD Public Health Department Date/Timeframe and locationMay 4, 2017Doha, QatarMain responsible entityPublic Health Department, Ministry of Public Health, QatarNutrition context Qatar Dietary Guidelines (QDG): Launched in April 2015 to help promote healthy lifestyle behaviors amongst the healthy adult population in Qatar. The QDG and its 8 key recommendations along with their tips were designed to encourage healthy eating habits as well as the importance of physical activity to reduce the risk of developing a number of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and some types of cancer. A unique characteristic of these dietary guidelines is that it has 6 food groups, where legumes is separated from the protein group. Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities: These guidelines were developed and launched in February 2017 to support and promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyle in healthcare facilities by;Increasing access to healthy foodIncreasing availability Increasing awareness This will be done by the use of the traffic light system which will be used to score and label all foods and beverages sold in the facility’s cafeterias and vending machines.Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthy Work Places: These guidelines were launched in March 2017 and used the basis of the above guidelines as a platform. The purpose of these guidelines is to help ease the workplaces that implemented the Work Place Wellness Program within their facility, when choosing vendors for their cafeterias or vending machines. Also, it gives the workplaces the criteria to be followed in their cafeterias which will allow them to know on what basis they will be evaluated on. Banning Children’s Toys in Fast-food Restaurants: This law is currently under final approval within the Cabinet. The purpose of this law is to set standards on children’s meals in fast-food restaurants such as calories, salt content, fat content, sugar content, and number of servings of fruits and vegetables. If the meals do not comply with the standards set, the children’s incentives (toy) will not be given with the meal.Salt Reduction Initiative (bread): The initiative started in 2013 in collaboration with WHO EMRO.The aim of this initiative is to reduce the proportion of salt added to bread and baked products in the state of Qatar by 30 per cent gradually. This percentage has already been reduced in the main bakeries and some other bakeries in the country as a pilot phase.Trans-fat Reduction Initiative (dairy products): Energy drinks: Ministry officials have asked that energy drink providers display labels cautioning pregnant or nursing women, children under the age of 16, individuals with heart diseases and those allergic to caffeine as well as athletes (during exercise) against consuming energy drinks.Key characteristics of the food system(s) consideredQatar Dietary Guidelines: These guidelines consider local food systems such as how to eat healthy while taking care of your family and environment. It discusses briefly on food sustainability and food safety. Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities: These guidelines cover different areas of the food system such as processing, packaging, marketing, and consuming. The guidelines set standards on the food content (nutrients), labels on packaging to determine which color the food/beverage item fits under (red, yellow, or green), how the food and beverage items are displayed in the cafeterias and vending machines, how much of the items are sold, and educational material will be available for consumers.Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthy Work Places: These guidelines cover different areas of the food system such as processing, packaging, marketing, and consuming. The guidelines set standards on the food content (nutrients), labels on packaging to determine which color the food/beverage item fits under (red, yellow, or green), how the food and beverage items are displayed in the cafeterias and vending machines, how much of the items are sold, and educational material will be available for consumers.Banning Children’s Toys in Fast-food Restaurants: This law covers processing (nutrient content of meals) and marketing the children’s incentives.Salt Reduction Initiative (bread): Communicate with bakeries in Qatar to reduce salt.Test the samples of original recipe for identifying salt content. Work with bakeries to reduce added salt gradually for bread samples that contain more than 0.8% salt levels.Continue monitoring to ensure sustainability of salt rate below target percentage.Trans-fat Reduction Initiative (dairy products): Energy drinks: This Ministerial Circulation covers packaging and marketing of energy drinks.Key characteristics of the investment madeQatar Dietary Guidelines: A.)The launch of two screening/health awareness campaigns (Healthy Lifestyle Campaign and Start Now).The Healthy Lifestyle Campaign used the slogan of Our future lies in our health. The campaign was divided into three tactical campaigns regarding healthy eating, physical activity, and smoking. The campaign was launched in June 2015 and ended in June 2016 and was directed at all Qatar’s community. It used community engagement activities such as mall and school visits to educate and raise awareness about methods of healthy lifestyle regarding the campaign’s tacticals.The Start now campaign was launched in 2016 and is ongoing this year. The campaign was divided to two tacticals, Eat well and Be active and a third campaign that would combine both nutrition and physical activity. The campaign used the slogan “start now” as to encourage the community to start healthy living. This year’s campaign focused on social media as well as print media, as they are the most used ways of communication in Qatar. The campaign utilized social media to post short commercials that have different advice regarding the two tacticals. The commercials were also screened in several cinema theaters for a wider audience reach.B.)Qatar International Food Festival (2016): Launched a contest for healthy recipes for a healthy cookbook which will be provided free of charge to the community.C.) Qatar Dietary Guidelines Training of Trainer (TOT) Workshops & Manual: Yearly workshops are and will continue to be given to nutritionists, registered dietitians, health educators, physicians, nurses, and academia on the key recommendations and tips within the Qatar Dietary Guidelines. Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities: Currently nine governmental and non-governmental health organizations are working on implementing these guidelines within their facilities for the 2017 year. Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthy Work Places: The workplaces that are implementing the Workplace Wellness Program within their facility will be given these guidelines to be implemented within their cafeterias/vending machines. Banning Children’s Toys in Fast-food Restaurants: The Ministry of Economy & Trade will work alongside the Ministry of Public Health to set standards on fast-food meals served for children and the incentives given with the meals.Salt Reduction Initiative (bread): A salt reduction strategy would be highly cost-effective and has the potential to prevent thousands of deaths by reducing the burden of chronic disease in Qatar.Trans-fat Reduction Initiative (dairy products): Energy Drinks: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has made it mandatory for energy drink providers across the country to display warning labels on energy drink packages in line with Qatar's standard specifications.According to a ministry statement, cautionary labels should be clearly displayed in English and Arabic against a white background. The cautionary text should be written in a distinctive colour from the rest of the product data.Key actors and stakeholders involved (including through south-south/triangular exchanges, if any) Qatar Dietary Guidelines stakeholders consisted of; Ministry of Public Health, Qatar Diabetes Association, Qatar Foundation, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, Qatar University, Hamad Medical Corporation, Aspetar, Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar National Food Security Program. The stakeholders for each campaign/workshops are; A.)Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care CorporationB.) Ministry of Public HealthC.) Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, private hospitals, and Qatar UniversityFood & Beverage Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities: Currently Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar Armed Forces, Sidra, Qatar Patrol, Aspetar Hospital, Al Ahli Hospital, Al Emadi Hospital, and Doha Clinic, and the vendors within the facilities.Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthy Work Places: Ministry of Public Health, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the vendors within the facilities.Banning Children’s Toys in Fast-food Restaurants: Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Ministry of Municipality and Environment all fast-food restaurant chains in the State of QatarSalt Reduction Initiative (bread):Ministry of Public Health, Central Food Lab, food industry including largest national bakery in Qatar.Trans-fat Reduction Initiative (dairy products):Energy Drinks: Ministry of Public Health & the Ministry of Economy and CommerceKey changes (intended and unintended) as a result of the investment/s Qatar Dietary Guidelines: Both campaigns were intended as educational awareness campaigns for the community to educate them on the health risks of smoking and the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. The Ministry of Public Health wanted to take the opportunity to promote healthy cooking and healthy lifestyle behaviors by allowing the community itself to submit recipes that were analyzed by the team of Nutritionists for nutrient content following recommendations and tips from the Qatar Dietary Guideline, and creativity; for the aim of compiling them all into one cookbook written by the community itself.? The intent of the Qatar Dietary Guidelines TOT workshops and manual is to provide nutritionists, registered dietitians, health educators, physicians, nurses, and academia the same messages regarding the importance of healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the risk of Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities: The intention is for healthcare facilities to review the food and beverages that their vendors provide and work with them on making changes to follow the set guidelines in hopes of encouraging healthy eating habits amongst staff and visitors.Food & Beverage Guidelines for Healthy Work Places: The intention is for the organizations implementing the Workplace Wellness Program to review the food and beverages that their vendors provide and work with them on making changes to follow the set guidelines in hopes of encouraging healthy eating habits amongst staff and visitors.Banning Children’s Toys in Fast-food Restaurants: Once the fast-food industry implements this legislation, other food industries will be targeted such as companies that sell cereals, popsicles, and other food products marketed at children, which include toys as incentives in their packages. The childhood obesity epidemic will continue to rise unless every sector is targeted and altered for the better hood of the country and its future generations. Salt Reduction Initiative (bread): Globally, morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing steadily and at an alarming rate. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and salt reduction is an effective measure to decrease mortality rates.Trans-fat Reduction Initiative (dairy products): Energy Drinks: The intent is to reduce demand for energy drinks, particularly among the youth, and encourage the consumption of natural healthy alternatives.?Challenges facedSome of the challenges faced with the implementation of the campaigns was human resources and budgetingWith the cafeteria and vending machine guidelines, there is always the possibility of resistance from the vendors to change their menus and the unacceptance of these changes amongst staff and visitors.Upon implementation of the children’s toys law in the fast-food restaurants, we accept to face challenges in regards to restaurant compliance with the set standards as well as the monitoring of these restaurants.In regards, to the Salt Reduction the challenges faced are; Production environmentIngredient formulationFinished product attributesFinished product quality through shelf lifeTasteProcessingAgreements between Ministry of Public Health and bakeries for reducing salt added to the bread are based on voluntary cooperation.Bakeries usually do not label their bread.The amount of salt added to the breads is often according to the baker’s preference. Therefore, while initial steps are underway, coverage and monitoring of implementation will remain a challenge.Lessons/Key messagesThe Qatar Dietary Guidelines campaigns and workshops conducted annually help refresh and deliver unified messages for healthcare professionals, academia, and the community regarding the key messages and tips within the guidelines.In regards to the Salt Reduction Initiative: The food companies that have signed agreements have encouraged other companies that have not signed agreements to reduce their sodium use. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download