Queen attends Royal Health Awareness Society’s 10th anniversary celebration

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday honoured a group of schools accredited by the Royal Health Awareness Society’s (RHAS) Healthy Schools Programme during RHAS’ 10th anniversary celebration.

RHAS launched the programme in partnership with the ministries of health and education as a national initiative to accredit schools that succeed in implementing the National School Health Standards, according to a statement from the Queen’s office.

At the event, Her Majesty stopped by the 10th anniversary exhibition, which features all the programmes implemented by RHAS including the Donors’ Zone, where she met main donors; the Youth Zone, where volunteers shared their stories; the Community Zone, which showcased a clinic with beneficiaries; and the Schools’ Zone, where teachers and students were present.

So far, the Healthy Schools Project has included the participation of 315 schools, building the capacity of 1,030 healthcare teachers and principals, accreditation of 200 schools, the training of 150 volunteers and ambassadors on the healthy bag programme, and the participation of 77 schools in the “Water Education for Teachers” training programme.

During Monday’s ceremony, Her Majesty presented accreditation certificates (gold, silver, and bronze) to 59 participating schools in the presence of Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat, Health Minister Ali Hiasat and Rami Farraj, chairman of the RHAS board of directors.

Speaking at the ceremony, RHAS Director Haneen Odeh said the society, since its inception, has implemented activities that people in various communities have benefited from, particularly school students, who are now more aware of a number of important health-related issues.

Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury, RHAS board members, Education Ministry officials, and heads of donor companies also attended the ceremony, the statement said.

RHAS is a Jordanian nonprofit organisation that seeks to raise public health awareness through implementing preventative public health and safety programmes.

The Healthy Schools Programme introduces standards for healthy school environments in order to prepare children and adolescents for a healthy adulthood.

A set of health standards was designed to include nine chapters covering different areas of the school health environment and their related performance indicators.