Откриващо информационно събитие за представяне на целите и дейностите по проект № BGLD-1.006-0001 „Здравеопазване за всички“ се проведе на 27 август, организирано от Министерството на здравеопазването в партньорство със Сдружение „Национална мрежа на здравните медиатори“.
The event was attended by representatives of the Program Operator, the National Coordination Unit in the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Health, the National Network of Health Mediators, and the pilot municipalities.
"This project is related to an extremely complex coordination process. We put a lot of effort into making things happen. We could have chosen target locations that were easier to work in, but we settled on ones where there are serious needs and problems that have not been worked on so far. And, unfortunately, those are the places where it's most difficult." This was stated by Prof. Ivaylo Turnev from the "National Network of Health Mediators" Association.
He emphasized that the main goal, on the one hand, is for marginalized communities and groups to acquire a higher health culture and gain access to more health information, and on the other hand, to ensure periodic preventive examinations, especially regarding sexually transmitted diseases infections as they are often found, and last but not least – to improve communication between these communities and health institutions.
Assoc. Mariyana Vassileva from the Ministry of Health presented the activities planned for the implementation of the project, among which are:
- Improving the mechanism for implementation of national health policies at local level;
- Developing an effective plan of action in the event of crises such as Covid-19, in regard to socially excluded and isolated marginalized communities;
- Improving the system for regular provision of health information;
- Approbating services and approaches for work and overcoming the existent deficits;
- Expanding the scope of health mediators' work
Assoc. Vassileva explained that all the activities are in the process of implementation, and some of them have been implemented almost entirely and added: "The implementation of the activities for the implementation of the national health policies in the field of maternal and child health and sexually transmitted infections has already begun in the municipalities where health mediators work. After that, 6 pilot municipalities were selected for the project.
„В тях беше извършено картографиране, както и координационни дейности между представителите на общините, регионалните здравни инфекции, Министерството на здравеопазването, Националната мрежа на здравните медиатори и други партньори /НМЗМ/.“ Като следваща стъпка по проекта доц. Василева посочи, че предстои да бъдат направени предложения за нормативни промени.
"Within this project, important processes are reinforced. One of the steps we followed was the development of a module for the work of a health mediator in a hospital. Health mediators receive their introductory training at the Faculty of Public Health of the Medical University, Sofia, and the mentioned module is already part of this training."
This was said by Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova from the "National Network of Health Mediators" Association. According to her, a manual for health mediators has already been developed and the new module will be issued towards the end of the project to provide information from the practice and work of mediators in health facilities.
The inclusion of health mediators at work in medical facilities is a pilot model that aims to upgrade the practice of work of health mediators on the ground in the community and thus contribute to improving access to health services for the most vulnerable communities. Currently, 19 health mediators work in 7 settlements and serve patients in 9 medical institutions.
During the event, the health mediators from the municipalities of Blagoevgrad, Dupnitsa, Kazanlak and Samokov shared their impressions of their work mainly in the children's and geriatric wards, outlining the difficulties, challenges and positive results they are already achieving.
There are also 12 local mutual aid groups operating in the 6 target municipalities. The approach of creating mutual aid groups, in which active people from the Roma community participate, is key to community development and supports the inclusion of more people in the upcoming services in the field of maternal and child health and family planning.
Within the framework of the Health for All project, the NNHMteam carried out mapping in the most vulnerable districts, hamlets and settlements of the target municipalities, as well as research and analysis of the functions of the health mediator at the local level in the implementation of national policies in the field of health of mothers and children and sexually transmitted infections.
The project is implemented by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the "National Network of Health Mediators" Association. The municipalities it covers are Novi Pazar, Dupnitsa, Samokov, Kazanlak, Burgas, Dimitrovgrad, Blagoevgrad. Partners are the local government, RZI, doctors, hospitals and health mediators.
The project BGLD-1.006-0001 „Healthcare for everyone” implemented by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Association "National Network of Health Mediators" under the Programme "Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Improved Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups", funded by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021
The total budget of the project is 1,109,718 euros, of which 85% is provided by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area.
The implementation of the Health for All project started on 1 Nov 2021 and shall be completed by 20 April 2024.
The presentations given during the event are available here [in Bulgarian]:
ЗЗВ – презентация на доц. Марияна Василева
ЗЗВ – презентация на Илия Тасев
ЗЗВ – презентация на Благовеста Гавазова
