Sofia, April 12, 2021
On April 12, 2021, the school year was opened for new health mediators from all over the country. The training is organized for the tenth consecutive year by the National Network of Health Mediators (NNHM) and the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) at the Medical University of Sofia. This year's course numbers 59 candidates for health mediators, who, after successfully passing an exam in May, will start working in 47 municipalities across the country. BFPA experts have been an important part of the training team of mediators since the very beginning of the program.
For the second consecutive school year, we face the challenge of teaching online, amidst the ongoing epidemic of Corona virus. At this time, the need for trained health mediators to help implement state and municipal public health policies is greater than ever. Over the past year, health mediators have been among the professionals working on the front lines and helping people from vulnerable communities by explaining, informing, reassuring, supporting the poorest families by providing them with donations for food and basic necessities - this work continues and now.
The official opening of the training was moderated by Prof. Ivaylo Tarnev, Chairman of the Ethnic Minorities Health Problems Foundation and a member of the Management Board of NMHM. The Deputy Minister of Health Svetlana Yordanova greeted the health mediators and shared the achievements from recent years, namely the inclusion of the health mediators in the Health Act in 2019 and the adoption of Ordinance No. 1 on the requirements for the activity of the health mediator, adopted in 2020. These are steps that are key to the institutionalization and sustainability of the health mediator profession. The health mediators were also congratulated by the MLSP, NCCEIV, NCCTHB, as well as by Prof. Ralitsa Zlatanova, Deputy Dean for Research at the Faculty of Public Health, who also praised the contribution of health mediators in the current epidemic situation and wished successful completion of the whole training course.
The newly selected candidates for health mediators were also welcomed by Prof. Galina Chaneva from PHF, Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova, Executive Director of BFPA, members of the management of NMHP - Antoaneta Assenova, Chairman, Peter Tsvetanov - Deputy Chairman, Zahari Atanasov and Dilyana Dilkova - members of the Management Board, Katya Kirilov and Georgi Georgiev - members of the Ethics Committee.
The training of health mediators will continue until May 12, 2021, after which in the next two days they will take an exam before the commission for acquiring professional qualification. Once they receive their certificates, health mediators will start working in 47 municipalities.
In 2021, the state provides a delegated budget for the work of 290 health mediators in 148 municipalities.
