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Contest on El Qu’ran El Karim Radio challenges listeners to link
health behaviors with religious teachings.
CHL partners in the SIS collaborated with Cairo’s most popular
radio station to produce an innovative show where family health
messages from the national campaign are linked to those in the
Qu’ran and Sunna (traditions and teachings of the Prophet
Mohammed-PBUH). The 5-minute show, “Family Health in the Qu’ran
and Sunna,” aired daily from August 28 to September 9 at a peak
listening time of approximately 4:15pm, ending just before the
mid-afternoon call to prayer. Over 50% of Egyptians, and 50% of
Cairo’s population, listen to El Qu’ran El Karim (The Beneficent
Qu’ran) Radio, making it the most popular radio station in
Egypt.
The show opened and closed with recitations of verses of the
Qu’ran by famous readers. Popular announcer Dr. Abdullah El
Kholy then briefly interviewed different guests on featured
health topics, discussing the scientific basis as well as the
religious basis for correct health behaviors. Topics included:
° Pre-marriage counseling
° Ante-natal care
° Dangers of smoking
° Breastfeeding: proper period, benefits of, acceptable
substitutes
° Thyroid gland testing for infants
° Infant nutrition and growth monitoring
° Post-partum danger signs
° Care of the newborn
° Hygiene: personal, and food preparation and storage
° Responsibility of both mother and father for education
of children
° Equality of male and female children
Listeners had an hour and a half to call in with their answers
for a chance to win one of three daily prizes of LE150.
The “Family Health in the Qu’ran and Sunna” contest proved
highly popular with its audience, many of whom requested the
series be aired again. Up to 600 calls per day were received on
two land-lines, with more many callers unable to get through the
busy lines. The contest generated more than 3000 calls over the
fifteen days it was aired. |
