Abu Dhabi Healthy Living Strategy Targets Obesity & Chronic Disease

A Healthy Living Strategy has been announced for Abu Dhabi to strengthen prevention and improve nutrition, physical activity and long-term wellbeing, targeting non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Developed under the guidance of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the multi-year plan aims to help citizens and residents live longer, healthier lives by uniting government, the private sector, communities and individuals around shared health goals. The initial phase centres on three pillars: increasing physical activity, improving diet and nutrition, and strengthening awareness and knowledge. The strategy also highlights sleep and mental wellbeing as key health drivers. These priorities will be advanced through enhanced infrastructure, supportive policies and regulations, programmes and behavioural prompts that make healthier choices easier in daily life. At its core, the plan focuses on behaviour change by making healthy options more accessible and sustainable and embedding prevention into everyday routines across homes, schools and workplaces. Enabled by digital intelligence, the strategy will proactively identify high-risk groups to target initiatives and policies where impact is most needed. More than 20 initiatives have been approved under the strategy to be implemented by a cross-section of government entities and the private sector over the coming year.