WHO - Towards the National Media Campaign on Adolescent Health 2025 - Lebanon

WHO Lebanon in collaboration with Mother and Child Department and National Mental Health Program at the Ministry of Public Health recently held two inspiring youth consultation meetings; one with students at Beirut Arab University and another with the UN Youth Advisory Group, facilitated by UNICEF.
Together, we discussed the challenges adolescents face in Lebanon when it comes to risky health behaviors.
The conversations were honest, enriching, and full of ideas on how to promote healthy lifestyles and empower young people to take charge of their well-being.
These consultations are paving the way for the upcoming National Media Campaign on Adolescent Health 2025: “Healthy Teens, Healthy Trends, Strong Future.”
With nearly 918,000 adolescents in Lebanon, it’s time to put youth voices at the heart of change. By working with ministry of public health, universities, UN agencies, and young people themselves, WHO Lebanon is committed to building a healthier tomorrow.

Source: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPBMv4QgsUu/?img_index=1&igsh=MXZtZTVmam14NjhzMA%3D%3D

As I am supporting in the development of the campaign concept, I moderated these sessions and documented the youth input.

It is a great pleasure to see young adults enthusiastically sharing their feedback about the findings of the survey. In these meetings, participants were able to pinpoint the effect of social media and peer pressure on acquiring habits. They gave enriching personal experiences, how they got into bad habits and how they were able to change them. 

Moreover, they shared about ways to help adolescents and even children to be healthier; notably, they believe that parents are the greatest source of confidence to their children and their role model.

As such the participants confirmed that the family is the primary environment where children acquire their life style and grow either in a safe or unsafe place. They insisted that any awareness campaign should influence parents, thereby reassuring what Dr. Racha Hamra Technical Officer/Healthier Population in World Health Organization, Lebanon Country conveyed about the primary and secondary target of the campaign, being adolescents and parents.

To be continued.

https://share.google/6ZwrpcmBPbHtYnhN

Samar Sahyoun - Editor in Chief

Post graduate student in Educational Technology – Lebanese University

English Language and Special Education -American University of Beirut

Pastoral Care – Saint Joseph University/Lebanon

Diploma for Coordinators and Division Heads – Haigazian University/Lebanon

Trainer in Holistic Education and dealing with Trauma

Family Coach

Active in the field of family, educational, and social awareness

@uniceflebanon @nmhplebanon

@beirutarabuniversity @whoemro

UNICEF Lebanon Beirut Arab University National Mental Health Programme Lebanon - البرنامج الوطني للصحة النفسية World Health Organization (Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office)