Blagoevgrad, October 7-9, 2019
Study visit of health mediators, NGO representatives and state institutions from the Republic of North Macedonia took place in October 7-9 in Blagoevgrad. The Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) with the support of the National Network of Health Mediators (NNHM) hosted the three days visit and gave an opportunity for the representatives of HERA – Health Education and Research Association, health mediators from Skopje and Prilep and the Ministry of Health of our neighbor country to understand in details how in years was institutionalized and functions the system of health mediation in Bulgaria. Field visit to the Roma neighborhood Predel Mahala was included in the programme and the guests could see how the work of health mediators Antoaneta Eftimova and Katya Kirilova is going on everyday basis – with institutions, as well with people who need and receive their support.
From the Bulgarian side, on top of the representatives of BFPA and NNHM we invited representatives of the Municipality and the Regional Health Inspectorate of Blagoevgrad, experts from the Ministry of Health, the Bulgarian-Swiss Program for Development Cooperation and the Bulgarian Platform for International Development (BPID). All of them came to share key activities and findings in their work on the field.
The study visit is a part of the project of HERA „Institutionalization of the Health Mediators Model of work”, supported by the Bulgarian Development Aid. We plan as a further step exchange visit in November 2019 of the health mediators of Blagoevgrad to their colleagues in Skopje and Prilep.
