7 April 2010 - Afghanistan joins World Health Day today with efforts being stepped up to address urban health issues and keep safe drinking water and underground water free from contamination.

This year health-related events and activities will take place in six cities (Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat, Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif) as people and organizations join the World Health Organization’s campaign “1000 cities 1000 lives”.

Worldwide the year-long campaign includes initiatives on public consultation and debate, city cleaning and greening exercises, public health messages, free medical check-ups, sports and other physical activities, school activities and more.

The Wold Health Organization in Afghanistan set its priorities for 2010 at the beginning of this year to include a number of key areas:

The Disease Early Warning System, a communicable disease surveillance system with laboratory support, will be expanded;

WHO will continue its assistance to improve immunization coverage against six vaccine preventable diseases;

Training will be conducted for 500 surveillance focal points and the capacity of the Central Public Health Laboratory at the Afghan Public Health Institute will be further enhanced;

WHO will assist in developing a comprehensive multi-year plan for 2011-2015;

And polio eradication will remain a top priority for 2010, particularly in the Southern part of the country.

In addition planned activities will be held across the country, such as town hall meetings with mayors, cleaning campaigns, tree plantings, family walks and promoting social solidarity by encouraging citizens to visit neighbours, orphanages, patients in hospitals,

Today in Kabul the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Public Health are holding a celebration at the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital to mark World Health Day.

During the ceremony the Ministry of Public Health, WHO and the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF will sign a joint statement which aims to improve health care and empower urban communities across the country.

World Health Day was first established by WHO in 1948 as a day to draw worldwide attention to a theme of major importance to global health each year.

By Kangying Guo, UNAMA

Website: World Health Organization