The workshop conducted by WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Higher Education Council, at the American University of Bahrain. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Bahrain.
26 November 2024, Manama, Bahrain – WHO, in collaboration with Bahrain’s Ministry of Health and the Higher Education Council, conducted a 1-day introductory and advocacy workshop on health-promoting universities. The workshop was hosted by the American University of Bahrain, designated as a healthy university by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The WHO health-promoting universities programme applies the settings-based healthy cities approach to a higher education context. It recognizes higher education institutions as important contributors to sustainable development through their role in protecting and advancing the health and well-being of students, staff and communities.
Participants during the health-promoting universities workshop. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Bahrain.
Building on the momentum created by Bahrain’s first health-promoting universities workshop in September 2022, the event provided a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences from across the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Participants learned about the health-promoting universities assessment process across its 6 domains – general indicators, the university environment, promoting healthy lifestyles, health development, safety and emergency preparedness and response and community participation and sustainability.
A panel discussion of health-promoting universities in Bahrain sharing their experiences and lessons learned. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Bahrain.To be awarded, a health-promoting university must meet at least 80% of the indicators developed by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Certification is valid for 3 years, after which institutions are subject to re-evaluation to ensure sustainability and scaling up of the initiative.
In 2023, 5 universities in Bahrain – Ahlia University, Arabian Gulf University, Kingdom University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain and the University of Technology Bahrain – were recognized as health-promoting universities.
The success of any health-promoting university requires top-level engagement and commitment to promoting sustainable health within the institution. Investing in health-promoting universities is an investment in the future and promotes health and well-being not only for the university but among the wider community.
Related links:
WHO designates 5 pioneering universities in Bahrain as health-promoting universities
American University of Bahrain moves closer to being recognized as a health-promoting university