Sofia, April 25 2016
At a press-conference at the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) the project “Access to health services for pregnant women, young mothers and children up to 3 yrs old from groups at risk” was presented to media. It is implemented by 1st Specialized Ob/Gyn Hospital for Active Treatment (SOGHAT) “St. Sofia” in partnership with the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) and funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism of EEA.
Dr. Ivan Dikov, head of the Counseling and Diagnostics department at “St. Sofia”, explained the health aspects of the project – from accepting patients in a specially renovated ward, to home visits for new mothers and field work. Besides the medical aspects, Dr. Dikov emphasized on the need of a lot of educational work not only with groups at risk which are the main focus of the activities but also with wider patient auditorium form the Western part of Sofia.
Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova, Executive director of BFPA, told of the traditions and experience of the Association in working on the field with marginalized and minority groups through trained volunteers and health mediators. She outlined BFPPA’s activities within the project – managing Ob/Gyns, nurses, midwives and filed workers and educational activities with them on working in multi-ethnic environment, info materials as well as cooperation with 1st SOGHAT “St. Sofia”.
Ventzislav Kirkov, BFPA’s program manager, explained the schedule and the methods of educational activities in the field. The five field workers, envisioned in the project proposal, will have at their disposal printed and video materials about contraception, pregnancy, STIs, as well as printed materials about health insurance and the rights and responsibilities of the patients.
The journalists’ questions were about the sustainability of the project. Its duration is until 2017 and according to Mrs.
Desislava Boneva, legal advisor of 1st SOGHAT “St. Sofia” and press-conference moderator, the sustainability of its activities and effects to last at least three years after its end.
The project "Access to health services for pregnant women, young mothers and children up to 3 yrs old from groups at risk" is financed under the BG07 "Initiatives for Public Health" Programme of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. http://www.eeagrants.bg/
This publication is created with financial support from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014. The entire responsibility for the contents of the document is of BFPA and under no circumstances can be assumed that this document presents official opinion of the Programme Operator of the BG07 "Initiatives for Public Health" Programme or European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.
