TY - JOUR
T1 - Public Health Ambassadors
T2 - A Novel Participatory Community Health Awareness Program in Abu Dhabi
AU - Elbarazi, Iffat
AU - Al-Balushi, Jamila
AU - Al-Dhaheri, Aisha
AU - Meeran, Mumtaz
AU - Peyroteo, Mariana
AU - Paulo, Marília Silva
AU - Grivna, Michal
PY - 2024/9/14
Y1 - 2024/9/14
N2 - Community-based intervention (CBI) programs promote lifestyle changes, modify risk factors, and substantially improve public health. Social mobilization and community involvement improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and improve access to care and services. Health intervention program evaluations are essential to provide evidence-based strategies that can enhance the design and implementation of successful health promotion programs. Interventions that enable the United Arab Emirates (UAE) community to change and modify unhealthy behaviors were the priority of the last decade and are the health authorities' objectives. The Department of Health Abu Dhabi launched a wellness program to enable the community to adopt healthy behaviors. The Public Health Ambassadors program is a community-based health intervention program under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, inaugurated in 2019. This paper describes the Public Health Ambassadors CBI conducted in Abu Dhabi. The implementation science framework was used to develop the intervention. The Public Health Ambassadors is one of the UAE's earliest and most successful CBIs. The program can be used as a model to encourage more health promotion interventions in the country and the region. The role of the program was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voluntary community participation and social responsibilities are essential competencies promoted by this program.
AB - Community-based intervention (CBI) programs promote lifestyle changes, modify risk factors, and substantially improve public health. Social mobilization and community involvement improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and improve access to care and services. Health intervention program evaluations are essential to provide evidence-based strategies that can enhance the design and implementation of successful health promotion programs. Interventions that enable the United Arab Emirates (UAE) community to change and modify unhealthy behaviors were the priority of the last decade and are the health authorities' objectives. The Department of Health Abu Dhabi launched a wellness program to enable the community to adopt healthy behaviors. The Public Health Ambassadors program is a community-based health intervention program under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, inaugurated in 2019. This paper describes the Public Health Ambassadors CBI conducted in Abu Dhabi. The implementation science framework was used to develop the intervention. The Public Health Ambassadors is one of the UAE's earliest and most successful CBIs. The program can be used as a model to encourage more health promotion interventions in the country and the region. The role of the program was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voluntary community participation and social responsibilities are essential competencies promoted by this program.
KW - Humans
KW - United Arab Emirates
KW - Health Promotion
KW - COVID-19/prevention & control
KW - Public Health
KW - Program Evaluation
KW - Community Participation/methods
U2 - 10.1177/00469580241241268
DO - 10.1177/00469580241241268
M3 - Article
C2 - 39275927
SN - 0046-9580
VL - 61
JO - Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing
JF - Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing
ER -
