The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced receiving nominations for the Gulf Excellence Award in the Health Media for citizens and residents for the year 1435H. This year’s contest revolves around "Prevention of Obesity".
The MOH's Spokesman, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Marghalani, revealed that the award, whose value was raised for this year from $50,000 to $100,000, aims at achieving several goals including fostering innovation and creativity among the workers and those interested in the field of health awareness and health media in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as encouraging the innovators to contribute to the prevention and health promotion, by means of affecting individuals and community groups, and urging them to adopt the proper, healthy behaviors.
Among the objectives set for this award, according to Dr. Marghalani, is to attract the attention of the governmental media institutions, strengthen partnership with the private media institutions, support the outstanding efforts aimed at developing the health awareness programs at the GCC states level, improve skills of workers in the awareness field, and highlight the leading efforts and effective initiatives of individuals and institutions involved in the field of health awareness in order to promote the health of the Gulf citizen.
Other objectives assigned the award include contributing to achieving the strategic objectives of the health plans in the GCC States, prompting the Gulf calibers towards innovation and excellence in the field of health media, showing esteem for the outstanding talents and competences in the health media, and bolstering spirit of competition among workers in the health mass media, in addition to laying down a scientific basis for health media information. "This year, for the first time, media institutions in the GCC states which have significant contributions to health awareness, especially in the fields of printed, audio and video media, will be honored," Dr. Marghalani revealed.
Dr. Marghalani explained that the Gulf Excellence Award for Health Media for the year 1435H focuses on excellence in health awareness through seven fields and media: the poster, social networks (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), short TV promos, short radio promos, website, integrated media campaign, and electronic applications.
Within the same vein, Dr. Marghalani called on media professionals in the government or private health institutions or other institutions to participate in the contest, and prioritize the health issue as being an integral part of their social responsibility. He added that those who are entitled to take part are: civil society organizations, non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, private sector organizations, and media organizations, in addition to the individual innovations by citizens or residents.
He elaborated that the selection criteria for the award includes that the nominated work should be connected with health-promotion visions and strategies, which are dedicated this year to the awareness and health-promoting patterns in the field of obesity combating. Besides, it should have all the artistic elements completed, and with a clear vision and message that it seeks to achieve in the community. Also, it must adopt a new or innovated idea, or developing a well-known idea, and should be of interactive viability with the targeted group, and meanwhile maintaining meaningful, credible content from the scientific point of view. The selection criteria also include that the work must be of high quality as far as the design is concerned. Additionally, it must have been produced in 1435H or the previous year, and not nominated for the contest in the previous years.
The MOH Spokesman, Dr. Marghalani, said that the deadline for receiving participations is the Safar 5th, 1436H, corresponding to November 27th, 2014. For more information visit
the award's website. The nominated works should be sent by express mail or handed over to the following address: The Relations, Media and Health Awareness General Department, Training and Quality Program, MOH's Headquarters, Riyadh 11176. Submitted documents must include an Arabic application. He stressed that the nominated works will be the property of the Award, and the participant has no right of retrieval.
To download the Submitted Work Description Form,
click here. (available only in Arabic)