Mustafa Afifi
Ras al-Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, UAE
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Primary Health Care
Primary Health Care (PHC) settings are unique in its nature because it deals with an entire family across the life span. Our aim in this study was to help the PHC doctors to identify and respond to cases of Violence Against Women (VAW) all over her life cycle. A PubMed based mini review was conducted based on papers published the last 20 years. We found that VAW usually starts even before the girl is born. Gender preference for males affect the survival, nutritional status of daughters, their physical development and differential access to education and health facilities. Then, in her early years of childhood, female genital cutting (FGC) is practiced in Africa and Asia. Its long-term complications include pain and scarring. Some of the adult women experienced the negative reproductive health effects. Being an adolescent, the girl could be exposed to forced marriage. Then, they may be subject to repeated domestic violence from their partner. In both forced and normal marriage arrangements, women could be prone to domestic violence. Suicide and self-harm could follow domestic violence. Moreover, during marriage, polygamy is another moral threat to wives and is associated with poor women mental health regardless of their socioeconomic position and education. Even after aging, women could be subjected to elderly abuse. The PHC doctor should be oriented about the 9 steps of VAW intervention (R9). He should know his role with victimized patients and express his readiness to listen to them and manage them. Doctors should be trained to recognize symptoms of violence, keeping in their mind its risk factors. Usually, the patient needs to be reviewed several times, even after her first visit or even after being referred to higher levels of care. Doctors should be reflective in their management with a respecting attitude to their patients.
Mustafa Afifi held his Bachelor of Medicine, Master of Internal Medicine and three Post-graduate Diplomas in Mental Health, Primary Health Care and General Administration. Then, he terminated his Doctorate in Public Health followed by another Master’s in Health Professional Education. He had his Post-doctoral training in the American University Beirut. He worked in many countries, of them is the UAE. In the UAE, he worked as a Consultant of Mental Health for the Ministry of Health (Head Quarter) for six years, where he integrated mental health services in Primary Health Care. Then, he got his post as Assistant Professor in RAK Medical & Health Sciences University. He has over 80 PubMed publications in non-communicable diseases, mental health, gender issues and health professional education. He is also a Member of many Editorials or Referee Boards of many PubMed indexed medical journals.
Email: afifidr@gmail.com
