Despite abundant sunlight in the UAE, Vitamin D deficiency is a growing health concern. The Human Recharge Stations challenge the assumption that sunny weather ensures adequate Vitamin D. By strategically placing ambient decals in sunny outdoor areas, we encouraged individuals to absorb direct sunlight. With over 90% of time spent indoors, the campaign prompted immediate action, encouraging sun positive behaviors and maximizing the reality of limited outdoor time. We tackle Vitamin D deficiency by stressing the importance of being outdoors in direct sunlight for optimal health.

Vitamin D Deficiency is a significant public health issue in the UAE, shaped by cultural factors including religion and extreme climate conditions. The local community adheres to skin coverage practices while outdoors for religious and cultural reasons, which blocks sunlight to the skin and is associated with Vitamin D deficiency.

The year-round high temperature in the UAE leads to indoor centric lifestyles, forcing people to remain in air-conditioned spaces. Also, during their minimal time outdoors – only about 10% of the day – they tend to practice sun avoidance by staying in shaded areas. This contributes to limited direct sunlight exposure, increasing the risk of Vitamin D deficiency.

By spotlighting the sun-avoidance practices and their broader health implications, our aim is to address the specific health challenges faced by the UAE community.

Situation: In the UAE, a significant Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly 90% of the population due to indoor-centric lifestyles and sun avoidance practices. This poses severe long term health risks and can significantly affect mental health. Despite abundant sunlight, awareness of Vitamin D's importance is lacking, creating a paradox of ample sun but insufficient Vitamin D.

Brief: Encourage individuals to actively seek direct sunlight for proactive well-being.

Objectives: Our objective is twofold: to dispel the myth that living in a sunny climate ensures sufficient Vitamin D levels, and to increase awareness about the critical importance of Vitamin D, ultimately encouraging proactive behaviors.

Our initiative played a role in the fight against Vitamin D deficiency, not only enhancing awareness but igniting a shift in sun-positive behavior. The campaign reached over 400K individuals through foot traffic impressions in 10 locations, leading to more than 34K minutes of safe sun breaks. This was measured by tracking the average engagement of 13,600 individuals who scanned the QR code to learn about the health benefits of Vitamin D.

The interaction with the Human Recharge Stations sparked awareness about the importance of safe sun exposure, and our initiative stands as a powerful testament to positive change.

In busy, sunny locations, passersby encounter decals resembling charging stations. Prompted to stand on them, scan a QR code, and take a 5-minute sun-filled break, they learn about the benefits of sunlight for Vitamin D. Real-time information educates them on the advantages actively gained by this Vitamin D recharge moment.