Beirut, Lebanon – November 2016: As part of its community work and interest in adolescent health issues, Bellevue Medical Center (BMC) conducted an awareness campaign during the month of November, aiming to engage Lebanese adolescents in their own care, and increase their health awareness. As part of the campaign, BMC doctors’ team, specialized in adolescent medicine, visited schools to address the health-related topics adolescents encounter nowadays.
In line with the campaign’s objective to benefit the community on the long-run by improving adolescents’ health, reducing accidents, preventing long-term health problems, and eventually creating a healthier society, an informative session was held at BMC hospital on November 23rd to address parents, media, and schools’ administrators on the topic. During this session, BMC also officially launched its recently-opened adolescent clinic, catering medical and behavioral needs for adolescents between ages 11 and 21.
Dr. Patricia Kaldani, chief of pediatrics department at BMC, said: “Adolescents are a special group in the society with specific needs which are often un-addressed; only 6 percent of adolescents in Lebanon who need a treatment receive it, compared to 25 percent in the world. Adolescents are in search for their identity and need to make a number of important choices which will affect their future life and health. In Beirut, already 20 percent of adolescents drink, 40 percent go through a serious mental disturbance, 15 percent are at risk of being overweight, and 30 percent have been bullied, in addition to a rapidly emerging problem of addiction to the internet and video games. The latter figures are the main reason for us to raise the light about adolescents’ health and help the young generations better thrive and build a better future for our country.”
The campaign -which will stretch in the coming year- also addresses parents of adolescents to improve their understanding of teens, which is achieved through BMC’s digital collaboration with youth social media influencers Silvio Chiha and Roula Nahhas, targeting both adolescents and their caretakers, aiming to raise awareness and encourage teens to take care of their health.