2. Results
  3. Result of direction

Health mediators work actively in Plovdiv and Kuklen

2017-09-30

TEST

The two health mediators, employed following a selection procedure in 2017, work actively in our intervention area in Plovdiv region – one of them work in the Roma neighborhood of Stolipinovo and the second in the near-by town of Kuklen.

The health mediators organize healthcare campaigns on different topics important for the Roma community such as family planning and methods of contraception, prevention of early pregnancies, children health’s problems, immunizations, etc. Before starting their work, both health mediators passed successfully a special training conducted by the National Network of Health Mediators.

For the period January – June 2017 the health mediator in Stolipinovo conducted 41 individual and 8 group consultations. The building of the healthcare center with an office for the healthcare mediators is planned to be finished by the end of 2017.

Mariana Rangelova, the health mediator in the town of Kuklen, is familiar with the local needs and is trusted by the local Roma community. Her efforts in overcoming the negative stereotypes, existing in the community, against the immunizations as well as her determination in solving the healthcare problems of the Roma people in Kuklen already brought about the first results. The health mediator in Kuklen conducted 55 individual and 33 group consultations for the period from January to July 2017.   

In September 2017, the health mediator Mariana organized in Kuklen a healthcare information campaign for the benefits of regular immunizations.

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.