| Country: |
Lebanon |
|
Agency: |
World Health Organization (WHO) |
| Address: |
World Health Organization (WHO)
Museum Square, Glass bldg
P.O. Box 5391
Beirut – Lebanon
Tel: 961-1- 612970-2
Fax 961-1- 612973
|
| Activity Title: |
Global Tobacco Youth Survey in Lebanon 2002
|
| Prepared By: |
Georges A. Saade, MD. the Coordinator for the National Tobacco Control Program, Cardiologist in El-Koura Hospital in North Lebanon. |
| Objectives/Goals: |
In 1998 the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF, began the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). The GYTS provides a mechanism by which countries can monitor tobacco use among young people and guide the implementation and evaluation of tobacco prevention and control programs.
Objectives of the GYTS:
1. To document and monitor the prevalence of tobacco-use including: cigarette smoking, and current use of smokeless tobacco, cigars or pipes.
2. To obtain an improved understanding of and to assess learners’ attitudes, including: cessation, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), media and advertising, young people’s access, and school curriculum.
3. To provide information to guide programming and advocacy work addressing tobacco use by use. |
| Brief: |
The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) addresses the following issues:
1. Level of tobacco-use
2. Age at initiation of cigarette use
3. Levels of susceptibility to become cigarette smokers
4. Exposure to tobacco advertising
5. Identifying key intervening variables, such as attitudes and beliefs on behavioral norms with regard to tobacco-use that can be used in prevention programmes. |
| Conclusion: |
The prevalence rates of tobacco use presented in this report are alarming. This current trend predicts an increase in tobacco use among young people. The conclusion following the GYTS findings illustrate that there is no neat and simple way to restrict teen’s access to tobacco products in Lebanon. Lebanese adolescents are faced with the double burden of cigarette use and the use of other forms of tobacco products such as Narguile. Tobacco use presents a key threat to the well being of children. School health programs aimed to prevent tobacco use should become one of the most effective national strategies to reduce the burden of physical, emotional, and monetary expense incurred by tobacco use. The success of this approach will depend on political commitment towards capacity building in public health law and economics, public support and enforcement. Legislation and regulation have to strike a balance between individual freedom and public needs and interests. |
| Recommendations: |
The industry should not be allowed to continue to sell hazardous and addictive products. Nor should it be permitted to continue to lure millions of innocent children into tobacco use under the grab of trade liberalization and the right to freedom of speech. Educational programs form an essential component of any tobacco control strategy. Law is a potent instrument for protecting and promoting public health. Through restrictions on advertising, a ban on sale to minors, a ban on smoking in public places, and by mandating effective warnings law can provide many safeguards that are integral to tobacco control. |
| Activity Title 2: |
Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices of Lebanese Secondary School students in Relation to HIV/AIDS.
|
| Prepared By: |
The study was implemented, edited and revised for the National Aids Control Program by Dr. Abdo Jurjus, National Focal Point for Research at the NAP. |
| Date: |
1994 |
| Partners: |
Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, National Aids Control Program and is supported by the World Health Organization. |
| Objectives/Goals: |
1. To assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices (KABP) of Lebanese Secondary School students concerning HIV/AIDS.
2. To outline educational needs and intervention priorities in the school environment using the collected information.
3. To orient the design of HIV/AIDS health promotion activities in Secondary Schools including identification of appropriate and culturally sensitive channels, messages, and materials.
|
| Brief: |
This study aimed at testing the validity of the following hypotheses:
1. The level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS modes of transmission, related risk behaviors and preventive methods, variable among the Lebanese Secondary School students, and is directly related to cultural and socio-economic factors.
2. The majority of the secondary school students in Lebanon does not recognize their group vulnerability and show misconceptions and poor attitudes towards safe sex practices.
3. The student population in the secondary schools shows significant discrimination and stigmatization against HIV infected persons.
|
| Conclusion: |
Health education facilities and resources in schools need to be improved. The level of knowledge of the students about AIDS in general, and about the most conventional modes of transmission in particular, were rated at very good to excellent. However, various issues of misconceptions still persist at different levels. Students of the public and semi-private schools had low exposure to health information, in sufficient knowledge and consequently had negative attitudes towards HIV / AIDS patients and preventive measures.
Issues to be addressed in the future:
1. Information regarding misconceptions on: transmission by insect bite, misconceptions on prevention by isolating HIV/AIDS people;
2. Information that stress positive attitudes towards HIV carriers and /or patients or even colleagues;
3. Information regarding safe sexual relations among young people;
4. Encourage peer education and small group discussion on issues such as HIV/AIDS;
5. Develop educational materials addressing the above issues;
6. Train teachers in schools to actively participate in school health education using appropriate and advanced educational material;
7. Collaborate with the ministries concerned, various schools and organizations to facilitate such tasks.
|
| Recommendations: |
The Study showed that there is a need to improve health education in schools and consequently improve relevant facilities and resources, be it material or human resources, such as:
a) Upgrading of school libraries;
b) Promoting & enhancing the biology class teacher, as a resource person to educate about AIDS and sex related issues;
c) Utilization of mass media channels for disseminating AIDS information.
|
| Activity Title 3: |
Out of School Youth
|
| Date: |
1994 |
| Group: |
15-24 years
The Lebanese AIDS Society has undertaken this project targeting the out-of-school youth in order to access and consequently to intervene in educating about HIV/AIDS-STD’s.
|
| Objectives/Goals: |
Objectives:
1. To assess knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of the out-of-school youth in relation to HIV/AIDS and STD’s.
2. To develop educational material and education instruments based on needs and forecasted priorities.
3. To raise awareness and improve knowledge among the target audience, youth leaders, official authorities, and community leaders.
4. To create self-awareness and promote positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles among members of the target audience and make them realize that they are personally concerned with HIV/AIDS and STD’s.
5. To enable members of the target audience to understand and perceive the risky situations that could lead to HIV infection and STD’s.
6. To evaluate the impact of the project and its effectiveness.
Goals:
1. Recognizing the factors influencing the risk of HIV infection in out-of-school youth:
a. Frequency and type of unprotected sexual exposure;
b. Inadequate support services;
c. Non-favorable political, social, economic and cultural factors.
2. Providing the correct interventions and activities:
a. Giving frank information on how the virus spreads;
b. Equipping them with the protective skills they need;
c. Ensuring access to condoms, family planning services and to STD proper management;
d. Reinforcing peer education activities, through NGO’s integrated activities;
e. Intensifying health education campaigns.
3. Working on improving the economic situation of these groups.
|
| Brief: |
Proceedings of the Study:
1. Conducting a survey among a sample of out-of-school youth through focus group approach;
2. Producing educational material specifically designed for educating the target audience;
3. Conducting educational sessions to the target audience;
4. Evaluating the impact of the project.
|
| Conclusion: |
The project has met the needs of the target audience. It was effective in offering better information and in enhancing better and positive attitudes concerning the adoption of effective preventive measures and less risky behaviors. The findings reflected on the sexual culture of the out-of-school youth and led to the acknowledgment that this group in Lebanon is becoming sexually active at relatively younger ages and consequently exposed more to the risk of HIV infection. Thus, providing the proper health education and reinforcing AIDS prevention activities in Lebanon, especially among the young, stands out as a top priority. |
