Child Health and Islam

Lessons for health promotion

Nicola Ruck MSc DHEd Health & Development Consultant, Bradford, UK
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Objectives of the presentation

Students will have a greater awareness of: the Islamic contribution to health promotion the importance of child care in Islam methods of health education and health promotion for Muslim communities
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History of health education and prevention of illness

Greco-Roman medicine and philosophy up to 600 AD/ 0 AH Arab and Islamic preventive medicine 610 -1610 AD / 0 - 1000 AH Modern health promotion to the present
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Islamic concepts of prevention from the 12th century

Importance of personal hygiene Disease as an imbalance of natural processes Avoidance of alcohol and excess food Recognition of environmental pollution as a cause of disease

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Health promotion through Islamic Lifestyles :

The Amman Declaration 1409/1989

Produced by WHO EMRO and Islamic organisations to promote good health in Islamic communities. Key points: responsibility of professionals for health education Islamic context helps understanding Islam advocates consultation, cooperation and self-reliance.
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Health promotion through Islamic Lifestyles:

The Amman Declaration 1409/1989

See notes for the full text of the Amman Declaration

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World Health Organisation series of publications

Health Education through religion series: The Right Path to Health
1. Islamic Rulings in Smoking 2. Water and Sanitation in Islam 3. Islamic Ruling on Animal Slaughter 4. Health Promotion through Islamic Lifestyles; the Amman Declaration 5. The Role of Religion and Ethics in the Prevention and Control of AIDS

6. Health an Islamic Perspective

7. Environmental Health an Islamic Perspective 8. Islamic Rulings on Male and Female Circumcision
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Community-based health promotion : Islamic concepts

Zat al bain : essential bonds within a community Fard el kifaya: Collective duty to care about others Duty to help communities to be self- sufficient Responsibility of professionals to apply their knowledge to improve health
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Community: what does it mean?

A group of people living in one locality a group who share beliefs a group who share interests communities are not homogeneous: they contain contain rich and poor, old and young, weak and strong
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Child Care in Islam

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Islam emphasises the importance of childrens health. The book Child Care in Islam by Al Azhar University, Cairo summarises Islamic principles on: state and right of the child child survival and development nutrition and health child rearing in Islam hygiene
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Child Care in Islam

Islamic principles and messages from religious texts.

For example: There is no bigger sin than neglecting your dependents Eat and drink but waste not by excess. Educate your children for they are born for a time that is not yours.
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Child Care in Islam

More examples of relevant messages from religious texts:

...start with the girls first Cleanliness is half the faith Islam has instructed us to wash (hands) before and after our meals, as well as during ablutions, and many other instructions to wash regularly and keep the body clean.
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Translating messages into health education

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The messages are not enough on their own. To achieve understanding and changes in behaviour, a good communication process is needed. Health educators need to consider Who delivers the message? and How ?

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Components of a health education programme:

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consultation with communities involved agreeing target groups objectives of the programme the priority messages appropriate health educators suitable locations the type of communication the method of evaluation
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Consultation:

Islamic structures can enable appropriate health education

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Shura is consultation between people and their leaders Waqfs are contributions to welfare Health authorities cooperate with Shura Responsibilities of communities, mosques and madrasas
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Example: components of a health

education programme for Muslim women on healthy infant feeding

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Consultation: health team consult the local Shura council, religious leaders. Female health workers consult older women and womens organisations. Male leaders are asked to consult and represent female family members. Use of Waqfs resources for meetings. Objectives are agreed, such as: to provide support to every mother who wishes to breastfeed; to ensure all women know the best local foods for weaning infants. Jump to first page

Example of health education

programme on infant feeding continued

Messages: for example Mothers shall suckle their children for two years (Quran II 233) Rice is a good weaning food Health educators: women over 25 yrs and wives or sisters of leaders and health workers. Their training emphasises the value of Fard el kifaya, collective duty to care about others. Locations: health authorities, Shura and religious leaders help to provide locations. Suitable for women: homes, hospitals and health centres, water sources, social gatherings.
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Example of health education

programme on infant feeding continued

Communication of the messages by female health educators; individual and group discussions; two-way communication rather than lectures; listening to womens problems; audio-visual materials such as stories, pictures, calendars, demonstrations of weaning foods. Evaluation by survey of breastfeeding and weaning, acceptable to women interviews to assess satisfaction of mothers review by health team and Shura council.
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and Evaluation community Objectives by and consultation health educators messages and women Women Two-way health communication educators Training in locations using for women Islamic values

Health education planning Shura cycle

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Summary

Islamic scholarship made a historical contribution to health education Today Islam can contribute messages, structures and policies Combining systematic planning and Islamic structures can improve health education for Muslim communities
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