A BRIEF REPORT ON
THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE
CONVENED BY
IBNSINA INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES (IPHMS) AND
AFGHAN PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUE (APHI - MOPH Afghanistan)
On September 08, 2007, IbnSina IPHMS Afghanistan, in collaboration with the Afghan Public Health Institute of the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, convened an international public health conference in Kabul. This historic event took place in the Diamond Ballroom hall of Safi Landmark Hotel, and was sponsored by Oxfam Novib and Bank Alfalah.
The conference was attended by over 200 people including staff, students, government representatives including deputy ministers of health, higher education, education, water and power, ex-minister of Public Health and current advisor to the President, and representatives from the President’s office and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and provincial health directors from Mazar, Sar-i-pul, Paktiya, Helmand, Zabul, and Bamyan.
Delegates and guests were invited from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Tajekistan. Donor agencies such as USAID, EC, Cordaid, Oxfam Novib, WHO, Unicef, Oxfam GB, and Afghan and international NGOs, and other organizations were also represented. The honorable Ambassador of Tajekistan, Mr. Farhad Mahkamov, attended the first part of the one-day conference.
The day’s proceedings began with a recitation from the Holy ‘Quraan’ followed by its translation into English.
This was followed by a brief welcome address by the President and CEO of IbnSina Afghanistan. The inaugural address was made by the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Faizullah Kakar. He praised this initiative taken through a private-public partnership between the IbnSina Institute and the APHI institute, which is a part of the Ministry, and stressed the need for furthering such partnerships. He briefly mentioned the topics to be discussed during the conference, and mentioned other issues such as pollution, needing attention, that could be subjects for future conferences. He also stressed the need for revising the medical school curriculum, putting more emphasis on public health issues.
The next two presentations were made by Dr. Zelaikha Anwari, Director of the IbnSina IPHMS, and Dr. Bashir Noormal, Director of the APHI of MOPH. Both directors presented brief histories of their institutes and a summary of their activities and achievements.
The introductory part of the conference ended with a brief address by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Mohammad Osman Babori, who praised the initiative, and made recommendations for using such initiatives for building the capacity of the Medical Faculty.
The conference included eight presentations on the subjects of Oral health and the role of Meswak, Omega 3 and its role in heart health, Traditional herbal medicine and primary health care, HIV AIDS -- the Global perspective and its status in Afghanistan, Telemedicine as a future answer to surround 24-7 primary health care, and mother and child health care in Afghanistan and the role of the National Midwifery Education Accreditation Board.
The Speakers were:
1- Dr. Hamed, Maxillofacial Surgeon, Stomatology Hospital Kabul, who presented on behalf of Dr. Khaliq, Director of the Stomatology Hospital in Kabul
2- Dr. Anwarulhaq Jabarkhail, President & CEO, IbnSina Afghanistan
3- Dr. Faizullah Kakar, Deputy Minister of Public Health of Afghanistan
4- Prof. Mohammad Rafiullah Khan from Peshawar University Pakistan.
5- Dr. Sayed Rahim Arab, student of MPH at the IbnSina Institute
6- Dr. Saifur-Rahman Wardak, National AIDS control Program of MOPH Afghanistan
7- Mr. Ashok Vaishnavi, Communication and Telemedicine expert from India
8- Ms. Pashtoon Azfar, Midwifery Education Advisor HSSP and President of the Afghan Midwifery Association.
Each presentation which lasted between 20 -40 minutes, was followed by a discussion and question-answer session. The audience participated actively and raised a number of issues and questions and made relevant remarks and comments. The audience enthusiastically endorsed the use of Meswak for oral hygiene and dental care, and some questions were raised about the advisability of its use by very young children, and its availability and quality control etc.
The presentation on Omega 3 and its value as a nutrient prompted questions about ways of raising public awareness, and the strategy for replacing edible fats in the market with Omega-3 rich edible oils, keeping the commerce aspect of the issue in mind. The audience appreciated the value of replacing imported unhealthy foods with indigenously produced Omega-3 rich foods.
The presentation about HIV AIDS also prompted discussion and comment. The issue of discrimination against HIV AIDS victims was raised, and one of the participants objected on the use of the term ‘unnatural’ for the sexual orientation of gay men, asserting that the term in itself, was discriminatory. A number of people in the audience discussed the Islamic perspective in the context of the prevention plan proposed by the MOPH, and it was clarified that the recommended use of condoms as a means of prevention was not to encourage sexual permissiveness. In conclusion it was agreed that the growing issue of AIDS, both globally and in Afghanistan, would not go away if people kept silent, and the need to speak up, was stressed.
The presentation about the benefits of Telemedicine prompted questions about its presence in Afghanistan. The IbnSina pilot Telemedicine project was briefly introduced, which was initiated with the intervention of Mr. Ashok Vaishnavi, who connected IbnSina to centers in India. The IbnSina Telemedicine Project was established and operates with the material and technical assistance of the Narayna Hrudayalaya Cardiac Institute in Bangalore India. The Narayna Institute had also successfully operated on and treated two Afghan children with serious congenital cardiac problems, an had provided hands-on training in cardiology for two Afghan doctors from IbnSina Afghanistan.
Information was also shared about one of the Kabul hospitals having Telemedicine links with hospitals in other countries, with teleconferencing facilities. Dr. Jalali from the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital also informed the audience of a Telemedicine unit promised by the Indian government for this hospital. However, the project had not materialized so far due to negotiations on the issue of running costs of such a unit, and who would shoulder the costs.
The last presentation covered the crucial issue of maternal and child health status in Afghanistan, and what the government and NGOs were doing to change it for the better. The presentation described the initiatives and efforts of the National Midwifery Education Accreditation Board, and their successes in ensuring access to standardized reproductive health care provided by qualified community midwives, trained in different provinces of the country. Comments and remarks suggested the need for follow-up support of trained midwives, and re-evaluation and testing for extending their licenses to work, after every few years.
The concluding remarks were made by Dr. Bashir Noormal, Director of the APHI of MOPH and Dr. Mirza Jan Hafiz, Country Director of IbnSina Afghanistan. In their remarks they stressed the responsibility of the MOPH, and recommended that health care providers, institutes and NGO, contribute towards raising health awareness. Recommendations were made to the Ministry of Education, to include health education, especially oral health education and the role of Meswak, into the school curricula. Better coordination between the Ministries of health, Agriculture, and Commerce, was also stressed. The seriousness of addressing the issue of AIDS in Afghanistan, even though the problem was not widespread at the moment, was emphasized with an anecdote narrated by the IbnSina Country Director. He reiterated the need to stop being silent bystanders and take action before the problem became too large.
At the end they thanked all the delegates from inside Afghanistan and from the neighboring countries, and emphasized the continued need for further exchanges and networking in the region.
