JEDDAH — A total of 2,000 medical students specializing in pediatrics will visit schools to offer free checkups and diagnoses to pupils of all ages. King Abdulaziz University Children's Health Campaign Supervisor Dr. Abdulmueen Al-Agha said the campaign addresses children's health and well being. "A team of 2,000 medical students will be visiting several schools across 25 cities and governorates. The campaign started on Sunday and will continue until the end of the semester. This campaign is the biggest volunteering health campaign organized by medical students," said Al-Agha. He said the campaign will be visiting primary and middle schools for both girls and boys. "The campaign raises awareness on physical health and nutrition and on the stages of puberty and adolescence. The medical students will also run checkups on body mass, weight, height, sugar level and blood pressure. Each pupil will receive a brief report of his or her health condition on the spot," said the source. He also said the reports are not only a description of the pupil's health status but they also contain recommendations to help parents regulate the health of their children. "Among the most common diseases in children in the Kingdom are diabetes and obesity. Children need to be more aware of the importance of physical health. Exercise is important to avoid becoming obese as obesity can bring along many diseases, such as diabetes," said Al-Agha. He also said the campaign includes lectures and talks on normal growth and health maintenance. "A child's body goes through a lot of changes when he or she reaches puberty. The children need to be aware of these changes and need to understand the change of attitude they will go through. If the child is obese, he needs to overcome obesity before he becomes a teenager as his body is more receptive as a child than as a teenager," said Al-Agha.
