2. Results
  3. Result of direction

Health awareness campaigns in Montana

2016-11-03

TEST

To raise the sensitivity and awareness of the Roma community on the matters of health prevention with focus on maternal and child health, 350 information material sets were spread in the Roma neighbourhoods Kosharnik and Ogosta in Montana, and in village Gabrovnitsa.

The health mediators consulted 99 Roma on health and social issues. Informative and explanatory work for prevention of morbidity and building of awareness on the importance of timely immunizations for 62 children and youths was conducted. The health prevention activities have been assigned to 150 women living in the places where the project operates.

Special attention has been paid to the health mediators of 24 pregnant women. The project activities cover 13 families with large number of children – the topics of contraception and the use of contraceptives were discussed with them.

More result of direction

Trainings in first-aid providing for the vulnerable groups

2016-08-09

Series of three-day trainings in first-aid providing intended for Roma and other vulnerable groups from the three municipalities were organized in Burgas and Malko Tarnovo in the summer of 2016. The trainings were attended by 100 participants – predominantly parents, but there were children, too. Contests in first-aid providing for 200 participants will be organized at a later stage for the parents and their children. The contestants will be teams composed of family members. The contests will be organized on a drill ground and will include realistically simulated incidents.

These trainings are especially important for the Roma community because of usually delayed visits to the doctor, frequently inaccessible first-aid services and common occurrences of crisis situations. Apart from these reasons, the activity aims to improve the understanding on the benefits of prevention. These indirect results will expand the health awareness and culture of the Roma population. The joint participation of parents and children is a good idea because it contributes to the building of a shared perception for help providing and educates that reaction to a health issue is practically possible.

Six health mediators work with the Roma community

2016-08-17

A total of six health mediators were trained in 2016. Three of them work in Burgas, another one works in Sredets and two other work in Malko Tarnovo. For a couple of months the mediators identified 450 Roma and Turkish families in risk and consulted them on the matters of health insurances and access to healthcare. 84 children of Roma and Turkish origin were directed to immunization. 86 Roma received support for the purchasing of medications and for observance of doctor’s prescriptions.

There is a huge necessity for such mediators across the country. We, the members of ZOV team working in the Burgas area, are satisfied that we have been able to identify persons that are well-suited to perform the function of health mediator in the three towns where the programme operates. Mediators play a key role so that Roma can rely on comprehensive services – healthcare, education, administration matters and establishing contacts with physicians and hospitals.

Mediators’ work is financed by ZOV Programme but the three local governments have undertaken the engagement to employ the mediators once the project is finalized.