Tribune News Network
Doha
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, recently held a ‘Training-of-Trainers’ workshop focused on growth charts for children under five years of age, in accordance with the WHO standards.
WHO Regional Office consultants led the workshop, which brought together participants from both governmental and private health facilities. The workshop aimed to enhance the capabilities of medical staff in Qatar. It featured a series of theoretical lectures alongside hands-on practical training.
The workshop is part of the Health Promotion Department’s efforts at the Ministry of Public Health to raise awareness about children’s health and assess their growth. This helps support the early detection of developmental issues such as stunting, overweight, and obesity, thereby enabling timely intervention and treatment.
This workshop is conducted within the framework of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a programme established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 1991, with the objective of safeguarding and promoting the health and well-being of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants.
Early childhood constitutes a crucial period for physical and cognitive development. The monitoring of growth is an essential tool for assessing the health of children, identifying potential risks, and directing interventions at the national level. This process involves the standardisation of measurement methods within health institutions, thereby establishing a coherent framework that aligns with national health objectives and adheres to international best practices.