AFGHANISTAN - Report on the celebration of World Health Day 7 April 2001

WHO offices in close collaboration with Ministry of Public Health, other UN agencies and national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) celebrated the World Health Day in all regions of Afghanistan by holding meetings, arranging press conferences, round tables and making interviews. WHO National Health Coordinators in all eight regions of Afghanistan read out the messages of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO’s Director General and Dr. H. A. Gezairy, WHO’s Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region in the meetings arranged for that purpose.

In Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, H. E. Mullah Mohammad Abbass Akhund, Minister of Public Health officially inaugurated the ceremony held on the occasion of the celebration of the World Health Day at the Library Hall of the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul. The Minister in his long speech highly appreciated WHO for selecting "Mental Health" as a theme for W.H.D-2001. The theme of the W.H.D-2001 is of great significance in Afghanistan, because most of the Afghan people due to more than two decades of war and deep socio-economic crisis, migration, displacement and natural disasters like drought are suffering from mental disorders in different ways. By availing of this opportunity, the Minister called on all health professionals, UN agencies, and health concerned NGOs to help the people of Afghanistan in decreasing of their mental stresses.

Dr. A. Momin, WHO Medical Officer read out the English version of the RD’s message and WHO National Health Coordinator read out the translated versions of the messages of DG and RD. After that some professors talked on the importance of mental health and thanked WHO for its assistance with the Afghan people. Also Dr. S. A. Ahad Deputy Director of the Mental Health Dept. and a psychologist from Mental Health Hospital in their speeches highlighted mental disorders and their causes in Afghanistan and appealed to the World Community to help the Afghan people in lowering down the rate of mental disorders in Afghanistan.

In Kandahar City, the day was celebrated in the Conference Room of Mirwais Hospital, rehabilitated by WHO. Director of Public Health and representatives of WHO and UNICEF and a professor delivered their speeches in the ceremony and stressed on the importance of treatment of mental disorders.

In Faizabad City (under the control of the Taliban opposition) the WHO office in cooperation with MOPH celebrated the World Health Day at the Conference Room of Faizabad Public Health Hospital. Mr. M. Moin Shahid, the Provincial Governor, on behalf of President Rabbani, officially inaugurated the ceremony. He read out the speech of Professor Rabbani in which the professor appreciated WHO activities in Northeastern region of Afghanistan. WHO/NHC read out the message of Dr Gezairy.

Dr. Zia Yaftali, The Regional Public Health Director in his speech highlighted WHO activities in Faizabad City, capital center of Badakhshan province, such as supporting of Malaria, TB, polio eradication programmes, provision of medical supplies to health facilities, medical assistance with Faizabad Medical Faculty, construction of two buildings for 2 BHC in Badakhshan province and Water Supply System for the Faizabad old and New City. Dr. A. Qadir Buran briefed the participants about the activities of the Mental Health Dept. of the Faizabad City. He requested WHO and other UN agencies and NGOs to support the Mental Health Dept.

Higher-ranking health and Government authorities, UN agencies, NGOs, scholars, professors, doctors, health workers, community leaders, teachers and students and national and international journalists attended the ceremonies. The meeting halls were decorated with slogans, posters and banners of the World Health Day and Mental Health problems prepared in paper and cloth by WHO.

Local and international journalists covered the ceremonies and prepared reports/reportages. Radio Shariat in Kabul and other local radios in all eight regions of Afghanistan broadcast reports on the celebration of the World Health Day. Badakhshan TV published the reportage of the ceremony. All local newspapers printed articles and news about the celebration of the World Health Day and on the importance of the treatment of mental disorders.

WR Afghanistan advised the information responsible to maintain contacts with the WHO sub-offices inside Afghanistan and send all related documents to make preparation for the celebration of the day. The information section was advised to translate in national Afghan languages the messages of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General WHO/HQ and Dr. H. A. Gezairy RD-EMRO and send it to all sub-offices, local radios and newspapers and BBC.

The WHO support office in Islamabad made eight copies from the Video Cassette sent by WHO-EMRO and sent a copy to each sub-office. The office sent WHO publication (kit) entitled "Mental Health around the World", "Stop Exclusion, Dare to Care" to all WHO sub-offices, MOPH, Regional Health Directorates, Mental Health Departments, UNICEF, UN coordinator (UNOCHA), ICRC, Ministries of Education, Higher and Vocational Education and Public Health hospitals.

WR also advised and authorized all WHO sub-offices to fairly celebrate the day. They were authorized through Memorandum No. WRA.03/P25 dated 1^st April. Please see Annex-I.

As per the advice of Dr. Said Salah Youssouf, WR/Afghanistan, the responsible of information of the WHO support office translated in full the messages of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General WHO/HQ and Dr. H. A. Gezairy RD-EMRO into both Afghan national languages (Pashto and Dari) and sent it to RD-EMRO for information and to all WHO sub-offices inside Afghanistan for reading out in ceremonies and to send the messages to all local newspapers, radios and TV stations. The English texts of the messages were also sent and the sub-offices were advised to make copies and distribute it to all foreign participants in the ceremonies and to all UN offices, NGOs etc. Please see Annex-II.

The statements of the WHO Director General and Regional Director were sent to Pakistani newspapers and were printed.

The WHO support office prepared twelve (12) slogans on the said occasions and translated the slogans into both Afghan national languages for celebration and press. The slogans were sent to all sub-offices through which all local radios and newspapers received the slogans. The sub-offices were authorized to prepare paper and cloth slogans and hang them on the walls of celebration places, hospitals etc. Please see Annex-III.

The WHO support office in Islamabad reflected the celebration of the World Health Day in its Weekly Update and sent it to the UN Weekly Update. WHO sent the Weekly update to WHO/HQ and EMRO. Please see annex-IV.

The UN Weekly Update also reflected the celebration of the World Health Day on its issue No. 407 on 3^rd page, third paragraph. The UN Coordinator office sent, as usual, the Weekly Update to all heads of agencies, NGOs, donors, Afghanistan Support Group etc. WHO, as usual, sent the UN Weekly Update to WHO/HQ and EMRO. Please see Annex-V.

The office sent the statements both English and translated versions of the WHO Director General and Regional Director and slogans to the BBC office in Peshawar. In addition, responsible of Information made two interviews with the responsible of BBC Pashto and Dari services (one in Pashto and another in Dari languages) which were broadcast through London on 7^th April. The translated versions of the statements of the DG and RD were also sent to the BBC feature programme, which is being organized each Thursday at 3:00 p.m (in Dari language) and at 5:00 p.m ( in Pashto language) for 15-20 minutes.

The WHO support office in Islamabad prepared a Press Release on the occasion of celebration of the World Health Day-2001 and sent copies to RD-EMRO, all heads of UN agencies, NGOs, Afghanistan Donors, Afghanistan Support Group, UN information officers and all WHO sub-offices, BBC and Pakistani newspapers. Please see Annex-VI.

By following the theme of the World Health Day 2001 "Mental Health", WHO Kabul office conducted a three-week training course on Mental Health in Kabul City for medical doctors. Doctors from Kabul, Ghazni, Kandahar, Mazar, Kundoz and Nangarhar provinces attended the course.

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