Introduction 

 

Health education, despite the similarity of its objectives, uses different methods according to the environment. This is true, although we use various educational instruments in the same society, as for example seminars, films, conferences, debates, etc. This is due to the fact that cultural, ideological, economic and health levels vary from one environment to another of from one country to another. What is suitable for the city would be unsuitable for the villages.There are also methods which can be used in all environments. This is the first essential point.

 

The second point reside in the fact that the character of the health problem we wish to deal with could impose specific form of awareness of a particular way of convincing and influencing people. If we wish to begin well on the health level and reach our objective, we have to take this into consideration.

 

As we are dealing with health education, the third point concerns substitutes. Because of the attachment of people to an idea, their reliance on it in the psychological, social and economic contents, their own conviction of its validity, however false that conviction may be,

we must seek to fill the gap and offer alternatives which will compensate for the lack of achievement so as not to leave any outlet for failure, defeatism and passivity.

 

The fourth point deals with traditional and modern methods of the development of ideas. It is no longer deemed suitable to use, in a developing society, direct expression, oratorical style, in questions related to drugs, stimulants, alcohol, etc. It has been proven unquestionably that such methods are less influential and of little use since most of the people know the detrimental and destructive characteristics of drug, alcohol, etc. as well as the economic and productive losses linked to the use and abuse of such substances.

 

Artistic aspects

 

We know that information and awareness have two important aspects. The content of the artistic form and the frame which enhances these contents.

 

By contents we mean the idea or the question to be dealt with. For instance that question could be scientific, social, emotional or ideological. We want to communicate it to others with a specific objective. The question should be clear, and its motivation manifest scientifically, impartially and without hypocracy or deceit. Those who present the idea should know it well and be thoroughly convinced of it.

 

The artistic form or framework is the receptacle which carries the idea, in other words, it is the way a subject is presented either to an individual or to a group of people.

 

The artistic form is in fact the criterion for acceptance of refusal, a touchstone for success or failure. It is first and last the essential and sensitive area which must not be neglected by those working in the field of health education. We can then say that this essential operation concerning the artistic form requires various kinds of experience and not only experience in the health area. It needs a producer, composer, an author, a scenarist, an actor, a cameraman, etc... a whole team having the necessary technical experience as well as scientific, psychological and educational experience.

 

Let us, for instance, illustrate that by the problem of khat.

 

This problem is, as you know, a health, social and psychological one and we have to deal with it in the light of this vast concept. In my opinion, the best medium for this is drama. Because a play , whether on the radio, television, on the cinema screen or in a theatre, can, according to its own, show the problem from all angles, in an attractive style, with different characters in moving situations, captivating intrigues, lively dialogues and delineation of events in strict succession.

 

The moving artistic (dramatic) form goes in two directions:

 

- it speaks to the conscience

- it speaks to the mind.

 

There is no doubt that conscience and mind play most important parts in the forming habits, traditions, concepts, and individual and social changes. The artistic style in presenting opinions and information plays a great part in our modern life. That is why it has been exploited by politicians, those who govern, those holding philosophic beliefs and those holding social, political and spiritual ideologies, thus transforming the masses, especially youth and creating new social images and relations as well as unlimited psychological and cultural changes.

 

This theory is more applicable to health problems that have social, economic and psychological dimensions. If we look at the definition given by the World. Health Organization we find that it confirms that health does not only mean a sound body but also a sound psychological, intellectual and social life. This is a vast and true concept. This concept can be proved in many diseases such as tuberculosis, malnutrition, contagious diseases and psychological affections. Those and others are diseases that are not limited to an individual who would only need medical prescription or a surgical operation and that would be all. This is rather a complex problem with many branches that has organic, psychological, sentimental, economic or social aspects. Therefore we must say that traditional direct methods of stimulating awareness of health education are not enough to reach the objectives in questions such as combating khat, alcohol and drugs in general. Therefore we have to look seriously for new methods stimulating health awareness and information in using the capacity of art to influence people and using the technological resources in presentations and communications, bearing in mind the failure of the old, direct methods of stimulating awareness, whereby a large portion of the target audience or programmes and strategies were lost. That is the major issue which I would like to stress, "the artistic form" or the framework in which we show the people how their situation may be improved by making changes in their lifestyle and urge them to take positive attitudes towards difficult problems, which threaten their happiness and safety and which might destroy their families and the society in which they live.

 

After the inverventions of my distinguished colleagues, it does not behove me to enumerate the dangers of khat. My present task consists in erradicating these perennial health problems which require a concerted effort, a pertinent global strategy and an adequate method for achieving out objective. There is a final point in relation to the same concept mentioned above concerning khat-consuming societies. The latter are societies belonging mainly to the developing world, where illiteracy prevails, where the means of communication are limited, the economic possibilities restricted, a low level of services and a backward technology. To arouse and educate such societies a specific style is needed in the field of health. The style we have suggested is best suited to the conditions of these societies. Moreover, this same style may be accepted by and arouse positive interest in other societies even in the industrialized and developed world. It is well known that purely scientific facts obtain a greater response among educated people. As for illiterates and semi-literates they find it difficult to understand scientific terms, theories and truths either because of the level of the style or of the complicated ideas. Therefore the style of a novel, which has an introduction, a plot, a dialogue, interesting events, music, etc. remains the best common for all people, without exception. To my mind that is the ideal style to attract the people to our message and to prevent their ignoring the special programmes dedicated to orientation and awareness.

 

We should not forget the importance and influence of religion in the way of life and the behaviour of the people in societies using khat, and we should profit from this fact. If the ulemas diverge on the question of khat, they can use the "Ijtihad" (jurisprudence) referring to the risks which are pointed out by research and studies and relying on "kiwas" (possibility of precedents) and "fatana" (pronouncement of religious leaders).

 

Resorting to these methods in the artistic framework will provide us with the focus necessary to convince and influence people.