MIL OSI – Source: Auckland Regional Public Health Service – Press Release/Statement
Headline: World Refugee Day: former refugee gives back to his community through public health project
MEDIA RELEASEThursday 19 June 2014
Tomorrow, 20 June, is World Refugee Health Day. Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) is heavily involved in providing public health services to refugees. Below is an account of how one former refugee is working with ARPHS to give back to his community.
Murad Nurhuseen was born in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital, in 1972. In the late 1990s, war between Eritrea and Ethiopia drove Murad and his family into a refugee camp, where he spent a year before being brought to New Zealand.
Having a good grasp of English, Murad was glad to be coming to New Zealand. “A friend had read about New Zealand in a magazine,” said Murad, “and all I knew was that New Zealand was an English-speaking country. I wanted to come to an English speaking country.”
Murad’s first taste of New Zealand was at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre (MRRC), where all refugees go for a six week orientation before settling in the community. Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) has a medical clinic at the MRRC, through which they provide a range of medical services including immunisations and medical screenings.
One of ARPHS’ most important refugee health projects is the Healthy Eating, Healthy Living (HEHL) programme. Now into its seventh year, HEHL seeks to prevent, and reduce, negative long term health effects of poor nutrition in refugee communities.
HEHL works to achieve this through promoting a healthy environment at the MRCC, focusing on good nutrition and physical activity for refugees, and by training people in refugee communities who can then, in turn, promote healthy environments in their communities.
Murad first became aware of the HEHL programme in 2009, through a trainer in the Eritrean community. “At that time, I did not realise how important it was. Now, as a trainer, I see how important it is to be healthy.”
Murad himself became a HEHL trainer in March of this year and loves helping his community improve their eating habits. “After I know and understand HEHL better, I want to tell all my community. I want to help them understand. I see that people have diabetes, they have high cholesterol. I know I can help them and I can help prevent others from having these conditions.”
ARPHS’ Clinical Lead at Refugee Health, Dr Helen Saunders, is proud of the work Murad and others like him are doing in the community.
“’Healthy Eating, Healthy Living’ has been very successful in improving the health of our Asian, African and Middle Eastern communities in Auckland. The trainers also tell us how much more confident they are after undergoing training, and how empowered they feel after passing on the benefits of this training to their communities.
“Success stories such as Murad’s are the reason ARPHS is so proud of the programme,” says Dr Saunders.
As for Murad, knowing that he is making a difference to his community is a great feeling. “Just last week I visited someone in our community and they said, ‘oh I know what you’re here to talk about – you want to tell us to stop eating ‘bad’ food, reduce the oil, reduce the sugar, use less salt.’ Then that man said, ‘we have done it – we are eating healthy.’ This means my community is getting the message.”
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Mike Heine, Media Coordinator
021 243 2421
mheine@adhb.govt.nz
For public enquiries, including after hours, contact:
Auckland Regional Public Health Service – (09) 623 4600
Photo:
Murad Nurhuseen, a former refugee from Eritrea, at home.
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