Sfax: A large number of citizens gathered, Saturday evening, near the Municipal Theater of Sfax to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have been victims of a mass genocide carried out by the Israeli occupation forces. The gathering was held at the initiative of the El-Khataba Wal Ouloum Al-Charia association in Sfax. A long march was subsequently staged from Sfax downtown to Bab Jebli Square. Demonstrators chanted anti-Zionism slogans, urging the international community to save civilians' lives, lift the embargo and put a halt to the barbaric assaults on Gazans who have been resisting for over 6 months. President of the association Lotfi Zouari told TAP local correspondent that this gathering is held to show support to Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance. «Taking part in this demonstration should be a duty for any Arab Muslim citizen, knowing that similar movements are taking place all over the world,» he pointed out. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
Applications open for 17th edition of Ibn Khaldoun – Léopold Sédar Senghor Translation Prize
The International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) said applications are open now for the 17th edition of the Ibn Khaldoun - Léopold Sédar Senghor Translation Prize. June 30 will be the deadline. Tunisian member of academia and writer Samia Kassab-Charfi won last year the prize in its 16th edition for her translation of Barg Ellil - a novel in Arabic by the late Bechir Khraief. The prize is designed to promote cultural and linguistic diversity and encourage all forms of cultural exchange between the Arab world and French-speaking countries. It is geared towards translators, universities, higher education institutions, study and research centres as well as publishing houses in the Arab world and French-speaking countries. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
WHO picks “My Heath, My Right” as theme for World Health Day
Tunis: The World Health Organisation (WHO) picked "My Heath, My Right" as a theme for the World Health Day 2024. "This year's theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination," reads a WHO statement. "Around the world, the right to health of millions is increasingly coming under threat. Diseases and disasters loom large as causes of death and disability. Conflicts are devastating lives, causing death, pain, hunger and psychological distress. The burning of fossil fuels is simultaneously driving the climate crisis and taking away our right to breathe clean air, with indoor and outdoor air pollution claiming a life every 5 seconds," the organisation further said. The WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All has found that at least 140 countries recognise health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people - more than half of the world's population - were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021. The global community has been observin World Health Day since 1950 with each theme addressing a particular concern at one point of time. World Health Day is an opportunity to launch long-term awareness programmes. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
World Health Day; UNICEF says mothers, children entitled to quality prenatal and postnatal care
Tunis: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Sunday emphasised the right of mothers and children to quality prenatal and postnatal care as the international community is observing World Health Day on April 7. It emerges from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys on the situation of mothers and children (Tunisia 2023) that eight women out of 10 had at least four prenatal consultations during their last pregnancy (78.6% against 84.1% in 2018). Access to prenatal health care visits is more limited for women from the poorest households (64.3%) and the less educated ones (49%) and living in rural areas (72.4%). The highest rate was reported in east central areas (88,6%) and the lowest in the west centre (59.6%). The World Health Organisation picked "My Heath, My Right" as a theme for the World Health Day 2024. "This year's theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination," reads a WHO statement. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse