Health Ministry health education director Dr Amal Al Jowder is using a $30,000 (BD11,340) cash prize she received from the World Health Organisation’s Sasakawa Health Prize for 2009.
Dr Al Jowder, who was the first Arab woman to receive the coveted award, said that the bus would promote health education among the people and encourage healthy practices.
A launch ceremony was held at the Bahrain Red Crescent Society, in the Diplomatic Area, and attended by ministry training and planning assistant under-secretary Dr Fawzi Amin and other officials.
The first ‘port of call’ by the bus will be in Sitra on Saturday, after which a weekly schedule would be drawn up, said Dr Al Jowder.
“The bus contains hand scooters for children, ropes and skateboards, among other things that could be used for children and adults to exercise and carry out physical activities,” she said.
Dr Al Jowder said that the private sector had also expressed an interest in the ‘health bus’ project and pledged to expand it in the near future.
“This is a must since we cannot continue to do it from the ministries for a long time,” she said.
The bus will have a driver and three volunteers to conduct the activities.
Dr Al Jowder was awarded the prize last April for “outstanding innovative work in health development” for the last 25 years by the Japan-based Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation.
The prize, which also includes a statuette and a citation, was established in 1984 on an initiative of and funds provided by Japan Shipbuilding Industry Foundation chairman and president of the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation Ryoichi Sasakawa.
The prize is given annually to one person or a group of people, institutions or non-governmental organisations having accomplished outstanding innovative work in health development.
Dr Al Jowder had then dedicated the award to her work at the Health Ministry, where she has been employed for more than 25 years.