Egypt launched Saturday a national health campaign aimed at early detecting and tackling anemia, dwarfism and obesity with school pupils nationwide. The campaign, planned to be conducted in three phases, was launched by Minister of Health Hala Zayed and Education Minister Tarek Shawky upon directions by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. Run on February 17- April 2, the first phase targets 11.5 million school pupils at both governmental and private schools. It will tackle school pupils from six to 12 years old, where any detected ones with these problems, parents will be notified to start treatment. Treatment will be totally free, as parents should not bear any expenses, Zayed stressed. She asserted that the campaign will be operated according to international standards, dismissing any rumors and reports that target the health campaigns at schools. The health minister said that the three stages of the campaign will target more than 22,000 schools, and will be operated by 4,420 medical teams. Shawky said that there is continuous cooperation between the education and health ministries, as health is an integral and basic part for all humans, especially those in the early ages of their lives. The campaign is obligatory, Shawky said, warning of taking measures against any parents who will refuse to subject their children to medical examinations.
