Brief report on the graduation ceremony of the 3^rd batch of 1-year Nutrition diploma program at GIHS

Date: January 30, 2021

Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

Venue:  GIHS Conference Hall

Kabul- Afghanistan

Prepared by: Dr.Fazila Dashti

Overview:

The 3rd batch of Nutrition 1y diploma course was started on 14^th November 2020 at GIHS with 26 participants while 18 out of 26 of the participants were Provincial Nutrition Officers from 18 provinces, and the remained were from public hospital in Kabul city, GIHS, PND-MoPH and Health Promotion Department of MoPH. The course was completed by 28^th January 2021 and a graduation ceremony organized on 30 January 2021 at GIHS. The 3^rd batch of 1-year nutrition diploma course was supported and organized following to an official request of PND-MoPH and approval of EUD.

The graduation ceremony was organized jointly by GIHS and CS at GIHS conference hall

Participants:

The participants were 26 graduates from the 3^rd batch, director of PND-MoPH, representatives of departments at GHIS, representative of Afghanistan Medical Counsel, GIA and Conseil Sante.

Opening Remarks:

The 3^rd batch of 1year nutrition diploma course closing ceremony officially started with the recitation of versus of holy Quran by Mr. Abdul Raof Saberi one of the participants.

• Dr Abdul Satar Jabarzai, the academic deputy of GHIS delivered his opening remarks with the following points:

“At the time when there were no nurses and midwives in Afghanistan to provided health care services in the hospitals, the King Amanulla of Afghanistan sent 10 persons from his own family outside of the country for education in health science, which then gained the ability of the government on establishing Institute of Health Science and started the teaching of nurses and midwives in the country to support health care provision at health facilities” he said. And added: “Now we are happy, with the support of the European Union, we have been able to train about 77 health care providers (52 females and 25 male) on nutrition 1 year diploma program to the Afghan health community.

Once again he thanked the EU nutrition project, CS and GIA support to GIHS for conducting of three batches of 1 year nutrition diploma program along with other supports including establishing of nutrition department, developing 3 nutrition curricula and providing scholarship to five GIHS teachers on nutrition and upgrading of 1 year diploma to full two years nutrition program, and requesting the continuation of EU nutrition support in the future.    

• The second speaker was Khisraw Yosufzia, deputy of the Afghanistan Medical Council, he said “I was one of the students in the post-graduate 1 year diploma course on nutrition which was conducted by PND-MoPH with the support of EU and implemented by Conceil Sante in 2011, which gained my knowledge on importance & needs of nutrition interventions in the country. He added, as a result after completion of the course, by the time he become Provincial Health Director in Nimroz province, jointly with community leaders constructed and developed a building for Therapeutic Feeding Unit to provide in-patient care for severely acute malnourished children in the province, previously there was no any facility for the treatment of severe malnutrition cases which improved nutrition care in Nimroz province. So he thanked the EU nutrition project for such an important initiative in Afghanistan.

• The third speaker for this ceremony was Ms. Mursal Manati director of public nutrition directorate. She said: “congratulation to both students and for GIHS for this success“. She urged the graduates on delivering the knowledge and lessons learned here to their work stations and the people in need. Also she thanked the EU nutrition project for the technical and financial support of the program and requested the continuation of such programs in the future as well.
• On behalf of the project and CS, Dr. Ahmadwali Amine KE2 of the project delivered his remarks, he congratulate both the students for successful completion of the course and the teachers of nutrition department at GIHS for teaching and leading the course as it was their first ever practical work from the time they completed MS on nutrition from TUMS and become onboard as teachers. He also urged the graduates to use and deliver the knowledge and practices learned during the course at their daily practices, and thanked GIHS leadership for their collaboration and support on leading and conducting the program. He also provided further information about the EU nutrition project contribution to KUMS, GIHS and PND and renewed the project commitment for further support during the life of the project.

Conferment of certificates to graduates: 

At this part of the ceremony , the gradate certificate developed  by GIHS were delivered to the participants of 3^rd batch of 1 year nutrition diploma course jointly by GIHS leadership, director of PND, and CS team.

At the end of ceremony Mr. Borhanudden Manavi, one of the graduate on behalf  of other graduates, thanked from the teachers, GIHS leadership, PND-MoPH  and Conseill Sante for their kind support and nicely organizing the program, and promised they will use the gained knowledge for the improvement nutrition status of children, mothers and all people in need.

Closing remarks:

The ceremony was come to an end with remarks of GIHS nutrition department from GIHS and

all the participants invited for refreshment, which was organized by EU nutrition project in the second hall of GIHS.

AGENDA:

10:15 - 10:30   Registration of participants by SC 

10:30 - 10:35   Recitation of holy Quran by Mr.Abdul Raof Saberi

10:35 - 10:50   Dr. Matiullah Sharq, Chancellor of GIHS

10:50 - 11:00   Ms. Morsal Manti Director of PND-MoPH

11:00 - 11:10   CS / EU nutrition project

11:10- 11: 30   Diploma certificate distribution to graduates 

11:30-11:40    Representative of participants

11:40- 11:45   closing remarks by ND of GIHS

11:45- 12:00 (Refreshment)