Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Public Health has recently launched, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the 'Young Inspector' initiative. The initiative comes as part of joint efforts to embed a culture of food safety within the community and among school students.
The initiative aims to strengthen students’ understanding of food safety concepts in schools through the implementation of an integrated awareness plan that includes a range of educational activities designed to suit different age groups and educational levels.
The 'Young Inspector' initiative includes the implementation of field-based awareness activities, notably educational inspection visits for selected students to food factories. These visits aim to reinforce the principles of food safety, highlight the role of health inspection in monitoring food establishments, and explain methods for preventing food contamination before it occurs.
They also introduce students to the mechanisms for applying food safety requirements within a real industrial environment, thereby demonstrating the importance of adhering to sound hygienic practices in protecting consumer and community health.
The initiative also comprised four awareness workshops conducted in primary schools. These workshops included simplified lectures on the basics of food safety, with a focus on interactive activities designed for children, in addition to involving students in the inspection of school canteens. This contributes to enhancing their awareness of correct practices that help prevent foodborne diseases, instilling healthy behaviours from an early age, and strengthening their role in maintaining food safety at school and at home.
As part of the scientific component of the initiative, the Food Safety Department organised educational visits to the Ministry of Public Health’s food safety laboratories, enabling students to learn about laboratory testing of food, identify key food-related risks, and understand the importance of laboratory analyses in the early detection of contaminants and in ensuring food safety.
The Ministry of Public Health affirmed that this initiative forms part of its strategy to raise health awareness among students and to build a knowledgeable generation that is aware of its responsibilities towards food safety, by linking theoretical knowledge with practical application, under the direct supervision of specialists in health inspection and food safety.
The Ministry of Public Health also praised the constructive cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as well as the supportive role of private sector partners, emphasising that partnerships between government entities and the private sector represent a fundamental pillar in supporting national awareness programmes and achieving the goals of sustainable health development.
