Viatris and Sesame Workshop Bring
Global Partnership to the Middle East
Providing Mental Health and
Wellbeing Resources for Children and Caregivers
·
Five
new sets of resources launched, in Arabic and English, each built around a
theme, to support the mental health of parents and children - Includes videos
featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, plus advice from clinical
psychologists for parents
·
Viatris
hosts Caring for Each Other panel session in Dubai with mother, entrepreneur
and wellbeing advocate Karen Wazen; clinical psychologist and Founder of
LightHouse Arabia, Dr Saliha Afridi; President of Emirates Health Economics
Society, Dr Sara Al Dallal; and Scott Armstrong, Founder of Mentl
·
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates – 17 October, 2022 – Viatris
Inc. (NASDAQ:
VTRS), the new global healthcare company, and Sesame Workshop, the makers of
Sesame Street, today announced the launch of new resources for parents and
children in the Middle East. Developed as part of their global partnership, the
resources are designed to support the social and emotional needs of families
across generations and help young children and their parents to recognise and
manage ‘big feelings’.
The
resources- available in Arabic and English at https://www.sesamestreet.org/caring - include five new videos
featuring beloved Sesame characters like Elmo and more, as well as advice from
clinical psychologists. Each set of resources is built around a theme that
resonates with parents and their children, and which helps them manage ‘big
feelings’. These are: Handling Everyday Goodbyes, Big Changes, Managing
Screen Time, Mindful Moments and Taking Care.
As
part of the Middle East launch, Viatris has collaborated with expert partners
from the region to help amplify the bilingual Sesame Workshop resources. Key regional partners include one of the largest regional
social media personalities - mother of three, entrepreneur and wellbeing
advocate Karen Wazen; leading clinical psychologist and parenting expert, Dr
Saliha Afridi, founder of Dubai-based mental wellness clinic, The LightHouse
Arabia; Dr Sara Al
Dallal, President of Emirates Health Economics Society; and
Scott Armstrong, mental health advocate and founder of the online mental health
platform, mentl.
They all shared their valuable
expertise and experiences on the topic of parent and children’s mental
wellbeing during a panel discussion in Dubai today, focused on key issues
raised by the Sesame Workshop programme.
Ayman Mokhtar , Regional President
for the Middle East Turkey and Levant at Viatris commented: “Our partnership
with Sesame Workshop was first initiated in 2020 , and we are so pleased to
announce the launch of the new resources focused on mental health and
well-being for children, parents, and caregivers regionwide. Learning and
tacking difficult subjects in a fun setting does help parents understand how to
manage big feelings, communicate with
loved ones, and take care of themselves for a healthier community. At Viatris
Middle East, we are committed to empowering people worldwide to live healthier
at every stage of life, regardless of geography or circumstance and through our
partnership with Sesame Workshop we will continue to support countless
individuals, children, families and caregivers”.
Karen Wazen, mother, entrepreneur,
and wellbeing advocate said: “As a mother of three whose profession revolves
heavily around social media, both my children’s and my own mental health are a
priority. The Caring for Each Other campaign videos and resources are
specifically designed to help children process their feelings while providing
useful tools for parents and families to take care of themselves. By helping
our little ones maintain a healthy mind – and by ensuring as parents we can
talk about our mental wellbeing - we can make sure that our children have the
support they need to truly thrive throughout their lives.”
Dr
Saliha Afridi, Clinical Psychologist and Founder at The LightHouse Arabia said:
“As a community that is committed to increasing public mental health awareness
and reducing associated stigma, we at The LightHouse Arabia believe that
normalizing conversations about mental wellness and prioritising our children’s
mental health are critical foundations for a well-rounded and healthy life. But
it’s equally important that parents take time for their own mental wellbeing
and are able to talk about their struggles and the pressures of parenting. The
Caring for Each Other Campaign provides valuable resources to support the
mental health and wellbeing of children, parents, and caregivers in the UAE and
wider Middle East region.”
Dr
Sara Al Dallal, President, Emirates Health Economics Society said: “In the UAE,
mental health is a key pillar of the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, which aims to enhance people's wellbeing by promoting
healthy and active lifestyles and promoting good mental health. The
country is leading the way on many fronts, and the government engages with and
supports initiatives across multiple sectors which contribute to improved
wellbeing. Better mental health and wellbeing are economically proven to
enhance productivity and build healthier societies.”
Scott
Armstrong, Founder of Mentl, said:“Around one in seven children face mental
health issues, and I believe that we as parents play a huge role in supporting
the wellbeing of our children. It all starts with building a strong foundation,
and the bilingual resources provided by Viatris and Sesame Workshop are
designed to help children process emotions and take care of themselves as well
as their communities across the region. By encouraging parents and children to
learn about mental health and speak out on the topic we can ultimately shed the
stereotypes and stigma.”
According
to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), one in seven children
experience a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of
disease in this age group[1].
The
new bilingual resources are designed to encourage positive conversations
between children, caregivers and families about separation anxiety and the effects
of isolation and unpredictability, communicating changes and uncertainty,
mitigating parental stress amidst personal loss and economic strains,
normalizing seeking assistance for mental well-being and using media positively
for learning.
“By
partnering with Viatris, we are able to provide broader access to resources
that normalize seeking assistance, help mitigate caregivers’ stress and suggest
new ways to talk through big challenges with children” Said
Sesame Workshop’s representative.
The
materials are launched as part of Sesame Workshop's Caring for Each Other
initiative. To date, the initiative has reached families in more than 100
countries and 41 languages.
https://www.sesamestreet.org/caring, is continuously updated to
reflect the ever-evolving needs of parents, caregivers and children worldwide.
Additional resources are distributed through a wide range of national and
community providers as part of Sesame Street in Communities, Sesame Workshop's
program to support children and families.
ENDS
About Viatris
Viatris
Inc. (NASDAQ:
VTRS) is a global pharmaceutical company empowering people worldwide to live
healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance
sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our
collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services
through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®. Formed in November 2020,
Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise
with proven regulatory, medical, and commercial capabilities to deliver
high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories.
Viatris' portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide
range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious
diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded
medicines, a portfolio of biosimilars and a variety of over-the-counter
consumer products. With approximately 37,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is
headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and
Hyderabad, India. Learn more atviatris.comandinvestor.viatris.com, and
connect with us on Twitter at@ViatrisInc, LinkedInandYouTube
About
Sesame Workshop
Sesame
Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the
pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since
1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission
to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in
more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of
media, formal education, and philanthropically funded social impact programs,
each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of
the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.
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