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.. .f ~ -- ... "" ::....:;.;~ . ~ ::: ~.;( ......· ..;.... _.... _ EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION Health is a human right by Dr Hussein A. Gezairy Regional Director, WHO~ Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean ach of WHO's six Regions tainable. Hence, we are always trying has its own special to generate more resources, knowing features, but those of the that it is crucial to work out the most Eastern Mediterranean cost-effective strategy in order to Region (EMRO) perhaps achieve the greatest impact. Our makeE it unique. It stretches over large strategy in EMRO for the most areas of two different continents, yet effective utilization of resources has has more elements of homogeneity three main features. than immediately meet the eye. Nine teen of its 23 Member States are Targeting Arabic-speaking, and Arabic is widely The first is, targeting for Health for used in two other States. The over All. This can be done geographically whelming majority of the population by defining certain areas, such as throughout the Region, with the districts or governorates and then exception of only one State, follow concentrating on their development the Islamic faith. so that they may be used for health The Region has a wide variety of research activities and as demon ethnic cultures and social traditions. stration areas. Targeting can also be Some of its Member States are in done functionally and operationally cluded in the list of "least developed by focusing on priority programmes countries," while others enjoy high such as immunization, control of rates of per capita income, enabling diarrhoea! diseases, acute respiratory them to provide health services which infections, maternal and child health, are among the most sophisticated in and water and sanitation. These pro the world. The Region also faces huge grammes can be used to spearhead problems. You can read in this issue Dr Gezairy was one of the founders of others and can serve as vehicles to about two wide-scale refugee prob medical education in Saudi Arabia, and carry other components of primary lems and how the health situation was Saudi Health Minister from 1975 to health care in an integrated manner. resulting from each is being tackled. 1982. Eventually, financial targeting by pool Several countries have suffered from Photo WHO/A. Badawi ing resources from the various pro many years of warfare, causing untold grammes into an "umbrella" primary human suffering and enormous health care programme will allow material losses. Natural disasters are large areas still lack safe drinking flexible use of resources, in a way that not uncommon; when they take water and proper sanitation; immuni satisfies financial regulations and at place, as happened recently with the zation of children is still far below the the same time meets new needs Nile floods in Sudan, the health target figures for this stage in some arising out of changing situations. situation suffers tragic consequences. areas; persistent endemic diseases It is against this background that we seem to defy all methods of treat Basic needs approach in the Eastern Mediterranean Region ment; changing lifestyles have meant The second feature of this cost are working to achieve the noble goal that certain societies have acquired effective strategy is the basic needs of Health for All. Fewer than 11 years the diseases of affluence without approach. This requires that all separate us from the year 2000, the shedding those earlier diseases that sectors set their own priorities on target date set by the nations of the they inherited from the days of meeting the basic health needs of the world for the universal achievement of poverty. The list is too long to include people, namely, basic education, pri this goal. It is undoubtedly a massive in this short introduction. But if we mary health care, housing, water and task that we are undertaking, but I allow either despair or complacency sanitation, adequate income, healthy believe in the resourcefulness of the to overcome us, our efforts will end in food and security. We who work in nations of this Region, which will total failure. Therefore, our determin the health field should be the pio enable them to attain whatever objec ation must never be shaken. The task neers in making progress toward tive they are determined to achieve. is achievable once we are on the right satisfying basic needs. If they are not Given the right motivation and a wise course. satisfied then an improved health usage of available resources, man can Resources are perhaps the key status cannot be achieved, not even if achieve results which, at the outset, factor in any plan which aims to bring the most modern hospital were to be may seem beyond all expectations. about a real improvement in the built in every village! Yet if these The enormity of the task is enough quality of life. Once resources are needs are met, morbidity and morta to make us despair. Rates of maternal available and plentiful, their proper lity will drop considerably without and infant mortality are still too high; use makes every objective seem at- even mentioning the word "hospital." 2 WORLD HEALTH, July 1989 Intertwined with this basic needs Health for All. To mention but a few, approach is the encouragement of we have developed an action Cover: Taking blood self-reliance programmes, in which oriented, school health curriculum samples on the the community plays the leading role which, when put into effect, will doorstep to test for in defining its needs, developing indi enable teachers and pupils to take malaria in Saudi cators, managing the programmes specific action in support of their own Arabia. and providing support in kind and in health and the health of their families Photo WHO/E Scheidegger cash. and their communities. Aware as we are that the most common cause of Health care approach morbidity and mortality is people The third and final feature of this themselves, we in the Regional Office strategy is the district development are working hard to develop a pro IX ISSN 0043-8502 system based on the integrated pri gramme which will encourage people World Health is the official illustrated mary health care approach, and this to lead healthy lifestyles. We are also magazine of the World Health Organization. we are actively promoting in the very positively exploring the spiritual Eastern Mediterranean Region. dimension of health, with the aim of Editor: This is not all. We are taking other involving religious leaders, Christian John Bland very important steps in support of and Muslim, in the Health for All Deputy Editor: movement. Other steps concentrate Christiane Viedma on making medical education com A busy prescription counter in Sudan. munity-oriented, on using national Art Editor: "/ believe in the resourcefulness of the languages in medical schools, and on Peter Davies nations of this Region, which will enable identifying the right leaders for the them to attain whatever objective they Health for All movement. Since our News Page Editor: are determined to achieve". objective stresses the word "All," the Philippe Stroot leaders of this movement should be Photo WHO/M. Sentis drawn from all sections of society. • World Health appears ten times a year in English. French. Portuguese. Russian and Spanish. and four times a year in Arabic and Farsi . The German edition is obtainable from German Green Cross. Schuhmarkt 4. 3550 Marburg. FRG. Articles and photographs not copyrighted may be reproduced provided credit is given to the World Health Organization. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect WHO's views. World Hei!lth. WHO. Av. Appia. 1211 Geneva 27. Switzerland. Contents Health is a human right by Hussein A. Gezairy . 2 The well-being of pilgrims by Jalal Aashi . 4 The plight of Palestine refugees by Robert Cook . 8 Afghanistan after the turmoil by Mumtaz Hussein ................ 11 A happy ending by Ghada Hafez . 13 Environment at risk Centrespread designed by Ulfat Hakky . ... .. .. ...... 16-17 A sporting partnership by Adil Salahi . 18 Communicable diseases by Mohammad Helmi Wahdan . 20 New lifestyles, new diseases by Muhammad AI-Khateeb . .... .... 22 Mental health adds quality to life by Narendra N. Wig ............... 24 Health education through religion by Abdulmoneim Aly . .. .. ...... .· . 27 Teaching and learning materials by Khaled Munaymani . 28 When X-rays are too costly by Atarod Modjtabai . 29 News Page . 30 WORLD HEALTH, July 1989 3 The well·being of pilgrims by Jalal Aashi very year, as the time of to visit Arafat, a few miles away from mage is a visit made at a specific time Muslim pilgrimage ap Mecca (Makkah). to the Inviolable House at Mecca. This proaches, and pilgrims This attendance is the most central is a reference to the Kaabah, the black arrive from all corners of ritual of the Haj - the Islamic pilgri structure at the centre of the Grand the world, every point of mage. Around one million of them Mosque. Pilgrimage also involves the entryE into Saudi Arabia has to cope arrive from countries as far apart as fulfilment of certain rituals at specific with ever increasing work. By air, sea Indonesia and Canada. But whether times and places. and road they come, motivated by they come from China, France, faith and a long-cherished desire to Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Mecca (Makkah), the focal point of pray at the Kaabah, the blessed the United States, Yugoslavia, from Islam, attracts pilgrims from all coun mosque towards which Muslims turn anywhere else, they all have the same tries where there are large numbers of in their prayer wherever they are, and purpose. To them, this is the journey Muslims. The Grand Mosque occupies of a lifetime and they want to make the centre of the town, and within the the most of it.