Launch of Aqaba Health Week as part of the 'My Health in My School' Initiative

Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Hajjaj, Director of Education in Aqaba, said that school health represents a fundamental axis in building a generation capable of learning and giving, affirming that the school is not only a place for academic education, but also an integrated environment for building the student's personality healthily, psychologically, and socially.

Al-Hajjaj praised the 'My Health in My School' initiative and the partnership between the Ministry of Education and health institutions, universities, and the public and private sectors, affirming that providing health and educational services to students within their schools contributes to enhancing health awareness, prevention, and early detection.

He added that the Aqaba Governorate welcomes all initiatives that serve its students, expressing his appreciation for all the doctors, health cadres, and institutions participating in Aqaba Health Week.

For his part, Dr. Shaher Al-Shtawi, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the 'My Health in My School' initiative and representative of the Health Committee in the House of Representatives, confirmed that Aqaba Health Week embodies the concept of national partnership in the field of school health.

He said that the initiative seeks to move from the concept of dealing with disease to enhancing prevention, early detection, and building healthy behavior among students, noting that the success of this project depends on the integration of efforts of government institutions, the health sector, universities, doctors, and the local community.

He added that Aqaba forms an important station within the initiative's plan to reach schools in various governorates of the Kingdom, affirming that investing in the health of students is an investment in the future of Jordan.

For her part, Dr. Abeer Al-Jallad, Director of the 'My Health in My School' initiative, said that the launch of Aqaba Health Week comes within the initiative's plan to implement a comprehensive health program within schools, affirming that the initiative seeks to make the school a real starting point for enhancing the health of the student, his family, and his community.

She explained that the program includes medical and laboratory examinations, health awareness, dental, eye, and hearing health, proper nutrition, healthy weight, physical activity, mental health, and school hygiene and environment.

Al-Jallad confirmed that the initiative does not view the student as merely a recipient of health services, but as an active partner in spreading health culture, through the 'Health Ambassadors' and 'Knights of Cleanliness' programs, which aim to enhance healthy behaviors and maintain the school environment.

At the end of the speeches, Ms. Ghadeer Al-Nawaiseh delivered a speech in which she emphasized the importance of supporting national initiatives that target school students and enhance health awareness among children and youth.

Al-Nawaiseh praised the 'My Health in My School' initiative and its comprehensive health and educational programs within schools, affirming that investing in the health of students is an investment in the future of the nation, and that the integration of efforts of national institutions and the health and educational sectors contributes to building a generation more aware of their health and environment.

She confirmed that Aqaba welcomes initiatives that prioritize the health of students, appreciating the efforts of doctors, health cadres, universities, hospitals, and institutions participating in Aqaba Health Week.

Nawaiseh emphasized the importance of continuing the partnership between various parties and expanding its scope, ensuring that health and educational programs reach the largest possible number of students and promote positive health behaviors within the school, family, and community.

Aqaba Health Week witnessed wide participation from the medical sector, with the participation of the Modern Aqaba Hospital and the Islamic Hospital, alongside a number of doctors and medical cadres from the public and private sectors, who contributed to providing examinations, consultations, and educational programs for students.

Aqaba University of Medical Sciences also participated through its academic and medical cadres, providing a number of lectures and health activities, including awareness of dental health and training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, alongside the participation of a number of health centers and agencies in the governorate.

The initiative confirmed that this participation reflects the importance of cooperation between various components of the health sector and provides a practical model for partnership to serve students and enhance school health.

The week's activities included raising awareness about the importance of healthy weight and balanced nutrition among students, through the importance of measuring height and weight and monitoring body mass index in accordance with the student's age and gender, alongside awareness of the importance of eating balanced food and practicing physical activity.

The initiative stressed that the goal is not to set rigid numbers for the ideal weight of children, but to help students and their families understand the concept of healthy growth and appropriate weight for age, and to encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

A number of students participated in the 'Health Ambassadors' and 'Knights of Cleanliness' programs, in a step aimed at making students an active part of the health program.

Health Ambassadors work to spread healthy behaviors among their peers, raising awareness about proper nutrition, physical activity, hygiene, and prevention, while Knights of Cleanliness, supported by Lamees Detergents, focus on maintaining the cleanliness of the school, classrooms, and playgrounds and promoting proper environmental behavior.

As part of Aqaba Health Week, initiative teams visited the Aqaba Digital School, where a number of health and educational activities and programs were implemented, and the objectives of the 'My Health in My School' initiative were introduced, expanding the scope of benefiting from the program and reaching the largest possible number of students.

Aqaba Schools Health Week activities continue in a number of public and private schools in the governorate, through a program that includes medical and laboratory examinations, health lectures, educational activities and competitions, nutrition and healthy weight programs, dental, eye, and hearing health, and hygiene and environment.

These activities are part of the first season 2026-2027 of the 'My Health in My School' initiative, which seeks to build a sustainable national model for school health, through the integration of efforts of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health/School Health Directorate, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Youth, the General Commission for Food and Drug, the Health Committee in the House of Representatives, alongside universities, hospitals, doctors, the private sector, and the local community.