Intense diversification of childhood obesity rates between urban and rural areas, low and high income, was found during the first day of work of the 11th Pancyprian Public Health Conference.
The issue of childhood obesity was among the issues that emerged in the conference, according to a statement issued by TEPAK and the Cyprus Health and Child Health Observatory.
Among the main findings are that more intense controls for school canteens should be held in an unsuspecting time, as violations of the relevant legislation are observed.
There was a need to establish a regulatory framework for using screens, social media and artificial intelligence for children and adolescents.
Another finding is the need to strengthen and maintain green and related infrastructure in schools and areas around them. The finding of the increase in the use of natural floors/surfaces and materials in playgrounds and school courtyards is also relevant because they seem to enhance the children's immune system.
There was a need to combine actions in schools, such as a combination of nutrition and physical exercise. An important example, as stated in the announcement, is that of combating childhood obesity in Greece, emphasizing the following pillars of action: water consumption and not soft drinks, breakfast and healthy meals combined with natural exercise and management of entertainment on screens.
An important finding is that prevention, that is, the fundamental principle of public health starts from schools and not from hospitals.
Like last year, it is noted that "there was a need for the need to strengthen cooperation on children's health at the school between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. The rest of the school community, such as parents, teachers, academics and researchers and researchers, need to be involved. "
There was also a need to produce health observation and environmental data through their schools.
There is also a need to strengthen the state budget by the state on health, sustainability and environment
"The quality of air in the classrooms seems to be worse than in the corresponding air of houses of their participating children and their families, as evaluated in a Cypriot study," the statement said.
The conference is noted in the announcement, is an event-institution of public health organized for 11 years by the International Institute of Cyprus for Environmental and Public Health (CII) of the School of Health Sciences of TEPAK. The conference was under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who was represented by Dr Elizabeth Constantinou, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health. The Minister of Education, Sport and Youth, Dr. Athina Michailidou was represented by Dr Christiana Philippe Haridimou, EME Education.
In addition to scientific speeches, important findings emerged through the panel debate with policymakers and specialist health experts and schools, co-ordinated by Mr. Chrysanthos Tsouroulis, Managing Director of the band Zeus.
The panel, noted in the announcement, brought the Ministries of Health and Education, Sport and Youth as well as the Cyprus Pediatric Society. Dr. Rebecca Georgiou, a spokesman for the Minister of Health, Michalis Damianou, Dr. Christiana Philippe Haridimou, EME Health Education and a spokesman for the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr. of the Cyprus Pediatric Society, Dr. Charalambos Hatzigeorgiou, Pediatrician, Research Associate Research and Educational Institute of Child Health, and Dr. Konstantinos Makris, Professor of Environmental Health, TEPAK.
The Central Speech of the Conference was spoken by Dr Irshad Shaikh, a special representative & head of the Cyprus Bureau of the World Health Organization, who referred to the main challenges for children's health in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dr. Irshad presented the 8 pillars to promote healthy school environments. At the same time, it called on all stakeholders to take immediate action to apply optimal practices that promote schools in schools, emphasizing the critical importance of mental health care.
Particular reference was made to the recent institutionalization of the International Institute of Cyprus for Environmental and Public Health by the House of Representatives as the 1st Public Health Research Unit in Cyprus. The primary concern of the Institute (CII) remains the continuation of a credible high quality public health educational programs for young and existing public health professionals, and the collection of research data to answer critical public health questions raised by the Cypriot society.
