Our Health Office, Student Support Services (including divisional counseling teams) and related curricular programs all safeguard student wellness and have played invaluable roles in our COVID management practices.
Inquiries and Questions?
+971-2-508-4412
Health Office
The ACS Health Office delivers the Department of Health (DOH) School Health Program in partnership with students, parents, teachers and the healthcare sector. We work within the requirements and guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH), Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHAD).
Our Health team consists of two Department of Health (DOH) licensed school nurses who have extensive school and public health experience. Nurses Fiona and Karen are supported by two part-time administrative assistants, Trine and Jannah.
Students With Chronic Health Issues: Students with asthma, high-risk allergies, diabetes, epilepsy, etc. are required to have a HealthCare Plan completed yearly by parents. We also require supporting health reports and as appropriate, emergency medication with a copy of the prescription. If Middle and High School students wish to carry their own inhaler/epipen, they must discuss with the Health Office first.
When parents inform us of a health concern for their child, a medical alert icon with a brief description becomes visible to their teacher to support student well being/safety across the campus.
Students With Allergies: ACS is an allergy-aware campus and seeks to create an environment in which children with severe allergies can learn to make appropriate choices to keep themselves safe. Due to the high number of students with nut allergies, we advise no nuts on campus.
COVID Management
ACS follows the guidelines required by the authorities to ensure strict infection control measures are in place throughout the campus.
Additional Health Information
Immunizations: Please see the UAE Childhood Immunization Program detailing the DOH School-Based Immunization Program. ACS parents are sent consent forms for completion during the relevant grade. Some students will already have received these vaccinations elsewhere and we will require up-to-date vaccination records for our health data reporting. The Health Office can advise on immunization requirements.
Medication Requirements: ACS students are not permitted to carry or administer any medication without consulting with the Health Office. A medication consent form for short-term courses of medication is required. Please email ACS nurses with details.
Health Screenings: Parent consent to DOH School Health Screening G1-12 at the time of enrollment. This is for the DOH Health Data Reporting and includes details around Height, Weight, Distance Vision screening (color vision screening for certain grades).
At present this is suspended due to the COVID restrictions within schools, unless parents request individually.
Sickness or Injury During the School Day: When students become unwell or injured during the school day, communicating with parents and monitoring of communicable disease/illness is undertaken by the Health Office. All visits to the Health Office are recorded within Veracross and, when appropriate, a parent is informed with appropriate follow-up or referral.
For gastric health problems (vomiting/diarrhea), please ensure a minimum of 24 hours clear of symptoms without using any medication prior to the return to school.
Additional Resources from the United Arab Emirates and International Health Agencies
- World Health Organization's Information Network for Epidemics
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- CDC Healthy Schools: Schools play an important role in promoting the health and safety of children and adolescents by helping to establish lifelong health patterns.
- FREE Mental Health Consultations for UAE residents
- Taaluf: Launched by The Ministry of Community Development (MoCD), includes four interactive channels to provide family counseling for free to all UAE community members.
- SEHA: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company
- Abu Dhabi Ministry of Health and Prevention
For any medical support or inquiries, contact Department of Health at 8001717