Public Health Ambassadors: A Novel Participatory Community Health Awareness Program in Abu Dhabi

Abstract

Community-based intervention (CBI) programs promote lifestyle changes, modify risk factors, and substantially improve public health. Social mobilization and community involvement improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and improve access to care and services. Health intervention program evaluations are essential to provide evidence-based strategies that can enhance the design and implementation of successful health promotion programs. Interventions that enable the United Arab Emirates (UAE) community to change and modify unhealthy behaviors were the priority of the last decade and are the health authorities’ objectives. The Department of Health Abu Dhabi launched a wellness program to enable the community to adopt healthy behaviors. The Public Health Ambassadors program is a community-based health intervention program under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, inaugurated in 2019. This paper describes the Public Health Ambassadors CBI conducted in Abu Dhabi. The implementation science framework was used to develop the intervention. The Public Health Ambassadors is one of the UAE’s earliest and most successful CBIs. The program can be used as a model to encourage more health promotion interventions in the country and the region. The role of the program was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voluntary community participation and social responsibilities are essential competencies promoted by this program.