The Participation House is established with the goal of empowering people to improve community health and address social harms, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations. Members of the Participation House act as a bridge between the health system and the public, conveying messages of self-care and health promotion to the audience. The third meeting of the Tehran Province Health Participation House was held on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 (22/8/98 in the Iranian calendar), with the presence of cultural and student deputies of the university.
At the beginning, Dr. Mohammad Hossein Pour Gharib, Deputy of Student and Cultural Affairs at the university and a specialist in sports medicine, stated:
“The question arises whether it is possible to avoid obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases without exercise and proper physical activity. Nowadays, exercise is more than just a leisure activity; it must become a fixed part of our daily routine. Lack of exercise is now considered a risk factor alongside others such as smoking and obesity in cardiovascular diseases.”
He continued:
“The global prevalence of insufficient physical activity is about 25%, which is much worse in Iran. Over 56% of people in Iran do not have adequate physical activity, especially in urban and industrial areas. Increasing physical activity, including daily activities such as household chores, work, and walking more than 10,000 steps a day, is essential. We must learn to walk more unless we have a specific physical problem.”
The university deputy added:
“Physical activity that raises the heart rate and causes sweating for at least 150 minutes a week is necessary. It is also recommended that people do not sit in one place for more than 30 minutes and maintain appropriate movement at work and home by any means possible.”
Following this, Ramesh Alipour spoke about the nutritional situation in the country and Tehran province. She pointed to the poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in Tehran, especially in deprived areas, and highlighted the direct link between household livelihood and fruit and vegetable consumption. She stressed that proper culture-building and the use of more accessible fruits and vegetables should increase per capita consumption.
The worrying levels of salt consumption in Tehran, which is also above average, was another topic. She emphasized that salt intake should be reduced through education and culture-building.
She also referred to calcium and iron deficiencies in Tehran, insufficient energy intake in some households, and excessive energy intake and obesity in others, calling the situation concerning. She highlighted the importance of improving health equity and health literacy as key factors in addressing these issues.
Then, Sima Delbari, representing the Tehran Participation House at the national Participation Houses meeting in Ilam, reported:
“At this conference, the Tehran Participation House’s activities were presented. The role of public participation through the Participation House in health and health literacy promotion, as well as social support for health-related demands, was discussed.”
Later, Dr. Rostamian, Cultural Deputy and Social Advisor to the university president, thanked the members of the Tehran Province Health Participation House. He referred to the successful experiences of other countries in public health participation and stressed the importance of increasing the role of public organizations in various fields, especially social harms and health.
He said:
“Tehran province currently faces problems such as non-communicable diseases, air pollution, waste picking, and irrigation with unconventional water sources. Despite good efforts, problems remain that can be overcome through public participation, involvement of people’s organizations, scientific support from universities, and the will of executive officials. The Participation House can play a key role. Given the expanding government scope, empowering the public to take on more responsibilities is crucial.”
At the end, Dr. Alireza Abbasi, head of the university’s Health and Food Security Secretariat, mentioned the sessions of the Participation House and the provided trainings. He asked members to convey this information to their groups and said:
“With university support, these sessions will continue with the participation and management of the members. Their presence and opinions will also be used in the health secretariat meetings at the provincial level.”
He added:
“The Participation House can strengthen the connection between the public and the university in health, so by enhancing public participation and using the valuable scientific and executive capacity of the university, community health can be improved.”
Note:
The Tehran Province Health Participation House was formed with representatives from NGOs, associations, guilds, and retirees to increase public participation in health and related issues.
Report and photos by Hossein Miri
