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- by Dr. Mohammad Haitham Al-Khayat
INTRODUCTION

By
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy
Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean
World Health Organization

God has created man in the best form, and laid down for him, within the precepts of the heavenly codes of life (Shari 'a), principles and rules that would ensure for him a happy, normal life, and would guarantee his family and society protection against all harm. God has drawn man's attention to the importance of health. The Prophet Mohammad is reported to have said: "Whoever wake up in the morning healthy of body, safe within his neighbourhood and in possession of his daily bread would be as if he haswon the whole world" .It is also said in the New Testament: "Glorify God with your bodies and your souls, which belong to God" .

God has then urged man to preserve his health, and warned him against exposing himself to danger or destruction. He spurred him to keep away from sins, overt and covert. Religious teachings have given as much attention to the health and well-being of society as they have to that of the individual person. The Prophet Mohammad says: "There shall be no infliction of harm on self or others" which is a rule defining the bounds of a person's behaviour so as not to cause harm to others. In all divine messages we find numerous statements inst.. ing concepts .of health protection and disease prevention, and highlighting forms of sound life, as well as regulations to bring the enjoyment of freedom and human rights within proper limits.

The progressive development of life on this planet has brought about a number of deep and rapid consequences. The changes in human behaviour caused by increased population, mass immigration, better and faster means of travel and communication, technological achievements and other social and economic developments are manifest to us all. Despite the undoubtedly positive aspects of all these changes, their negative impact on the balance of man's personality, the family structure and the cohesion of society is now clear to everyone. These crucial changes have been accompanied by a weakening of religious restraints and moral modes of behaviour, to varying degrees, among individuals and societies. This has led to the spread of alien and unnatural behaviour patterns that have ushered in what can be called behavioural diseases, including all types of sexually transmitted diseases, not least of which is the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The spread of sexually transmitted diseases is now rampant the world over, with over 250 million new cases every year. Over the last ten years, AIDS has affected ? between eight and ten million people. This figure is expected to rise to about 40 million by the year 2000. Furthermore, despite the fact that science has been able to determine this disease's natural history, its progress and the way it destroys all of the human body's defences, until the victim eventually reaches the inescapable fate of death, scientists have not as yet discovered a cure or a vaccine that would protect humans ragainst its dangers.

In the circumstances, avoiding the risk factors proves to be the only weapon available in combating this disease, and this can be achieved by adopting responsible, sensible and rational behaviour. In other words, a return to the proper moral framework taught by religion. Fortunately for us, religion continues to have its" influence and sacredness in countries of this Region, the cradle of divine religions. The health programmes that we are implementing jointly with Member States have confirmed that the best guarantee of success for any health programme, and the best way to persuade people of its efficacy and gain their support for it, is to base the programme on the people's own culture, traditions and religious beliefs. This is the cornerstone in the philosophy of primary health care.

Preachers and welfare workers, mosques and churches alike, have an important role to play in this process. Were it to incorporate the call to good health in its message; a religious order wouJd be perfectly capable of achieving wonders in the area of health and well-being. For this purpose, we invited a select group of religious, legal and medical scholars and scientists, to share with us their views and expertise on the best way to utilize religious teachings for the purpose of protecting individuals and groups against AIDS and all other sexually transmitted diseases. The result of this consultation is a series of objective recommendations given at the end of this booklet. Dr Mohammad Saleem al-A wwa was kind enough to prepare this booklet, summarizing the outcome of the two-day Regional Consultation. I have great pleasure in presenting this work to the reader, hoping sincerely that it will be enjoyable, useful and of help in highlighting the reJigious and ethical aspects of this. complex and increasingly serious problem.