National Stop TB partnerships celebrated the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan by supporting tuberculosis-affected patients and families in
countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Responding to a
call by the Eastern Mediterranean Partnership to Stop TB, the
regional coalition of public and private health sectors, the media,
civil society and the national stop TB partnerships in Afghanistan,
Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Pakistan and Sudan
organized donations and a range of activities for tuberculosis
patients and their families in the holy month of Ramadan. A similar
campaign was organized last year.
In Afghanistan, the coordinating board of the country's very
active national partnership called for generous cash donations
and kind support. Its members contributed themselves first.
Similar initiatives were taken up by subnational partnerships in
Herat and Mazar i Sharif provinces.
The Egyptian national tuberculosis programme and national stop
TB partnership raised donations for four chest hospitals and
their patients in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta and
Suez. Donations included hospital equipment, food bags, cash
support for patients and emergency services for deserving
patients arriving in hospitals.
The Iranian Stop TB Committee, the oldest national partnership
in the Region, in association with the Iranian Charity
Foundation for Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the Imdad
Committee of Imam Khomeini organized
an iftar dinner and
distributed food baskets among deserving tuberculosis patients
and their families.
Led by the national tuberculosis programme and the Jordanian
Anti TB Association, with the enthusiastic contribution of
National Stop TB ambassador and actress, Rania Ismael, partners
collected and distributed food, supplements, clothes and cash
among patients and their families in Jordan.
In flood-affected areas of Pakistan, the national tuberculosis
programme and partners have engaged the business community,
philanthropists and donors to provide food support to
tuberculosis patients and their displaced families.
The Sudan national partnership, in association with the Women’s
Federation, organized iftar dinners in all states of the
country and distributed food baskets to tuberculosis patients on
the occasion.
The Eastern Mediterranean Region has several national stop TB
partnerships which represent different segments of society with
a commitment to support tuberculosis care in their countries.
The national partnerships have been organizing social
mobilization activities, conducting advocacy and supporting
patients socially and financially through innovative means. This
Ramadan campaign represented a good example of all of these
activities.