The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) 's Youth Council has organised a youth circle in collaboration with Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital entitled “The Future is Already Here: How Young People Can Foster Mental Health".
The event was held on the sidelines of the 25th World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP), which ran from 5th to 9th December at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The conference, the world's largest event of its kind, is taking place for the first time in an Arab city under the theme “Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Shaping the Future.”
Scientific delegations from 85 countries are participating in the five-day event alongside specialists and medical professionals from all over the world, who are gathered to address the latest developments concerning the mental health of children and adolescents.
The panel was attended by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and The Future; and Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs,
Also present were members of MoHAP Youth Council, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, With Hope UAE, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, Zayed University, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Emirates Health Services, as well as representatives from youth councils at different government entities.
Moderated by Sheikha Al Shamsi, Acting Director of the Youth Council of MoHAP, the panel discussion shed light on the importance of mental health for young people and its impact on individuals and broader society.
It also tackled solutions proposed by young people to foster mental health and reviewed how the UAE pays utmost attention to young people in all health and psychological programs and how it works with the community and relevant government entities to develop national policies to improve society's mental health.
The discussion, which addressed the mental health issues that young people face and how they affect their lives, aimed to give young people encouraging messages to increase their contributions to sustainable development, foster their community involvement, and grant them the confidence to take on responsibilities, in line with the UAE's future directives.
The panellists agreed that it is essential to give young people access to sufficient resources to learn about the latest developments while raising public awareness of issues related to mental health.
The biennial congress, hosted by Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, has attracted thousands of mental health professionals worldwide to discuss various topics and review the latest health developments and discoveries.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
