By Rana Husseini

AMMAN - Physicians across the country can better detect gender-based violence victims and provide them with necessary services with the help of a training manual launched on Wednesday.

The Noor Al Hussein Foundation’s Institute of Family Health (IFH) on Sunday launched the guide, the “Training Manual for Private Health Care Providers in Management of Victims of Violence against Women”, in a ceremony yesterday, in order to help health providers in the country in the detection, diagnosis and referral of victims to support services.

Some 115 medical cadres at nine private hospitals in the Kingdom have already started using the training manual, the first Arabic guide of its kind in the region, according to the IFH.

“The Noor Al Hussein Foundation (NHF) and IFH are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to develop a practical and effective tool for assisting women victims of violence,” NHF Executive Director Hana Shahin said during yesterday’s launch ceremony.

USAID Director Jay Knott, who addressed the gathering, said domestic violence negatively affects the health of entire families.

“It especially affects the ability of women to make appropriate health choices, in terms of reproductive and overall health and in health-seeking behaviour of themselves and their children,” Knott said.

The US official added that children who witness their mothers being abused show many behavioural and physical problems including depression, anxiety and engaging in violence towards peers.

Knott said the manual is a concrete example of how “our partnership can improve the lives of Jordanian citizens”.

The guide was compiled using practitioner expertise from the legal, social, psychological and medical fields, as well as from medical records, research and interaction with support service providers, according to the IFH.

One in three married Jordanian women between the ages of 15 and 49 has been subjected to some form of violence in her life, IFH Director Manal Tahtamouni said, citing a 2007 demographic and health survey prepared by the Department of Statistics.

The study also revealed that 5 per cent of pregnant women are subjected to some form of violence during their pregnancy, Tahtamouni noted.

The training manual is part of a project supported by the USAID-funded Private Sector Project for Women’s Health to strengthen the capacity of the Jordanian private health sector’s response to gender-based violence.

Her Majesty Queen Noor, who acted as patron of the event, signed the manual and distributed certificates to participating hospitals and manual review committee members following the conclusion of the launching ceremony.

Established in 1986, the IFH aims to provide comprehensive family healthcare services and training for professionals and caretakers in family healthcare, childhood disabilities, gender-based violence, physical support and social work.