HEALTH IN FOCUS: Development of disease prevention and health promotion in two Karelias 2013-2014 (KA421)
Funded by Karelia ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

Overall objective of the action is to increase health and well-being of people and to narrow the health gap between socioeconomic groups in the Republic of Karelia and in North Karelia, Finland.

Main activities

• Improvement of health communication and an increase of health knowledge among people through printed press, television, radio, websites and social media. • Models for process to reach challenging population groups. • Strengthening of self-treatment. • Development of skills and working methods of health professionals. • Health care quality and needs for service and satisfaction to services in the sparsely populated areas. • Strengthening of the Health in All Policies thinking.

Achievements

Good and functioning collaboration with the media enabled increase of health related stories in media. The total amount of articles, columns, news, broadcasts etc. was far more than expected. The media representatives were satisfied with the cooperation and this good collaboration during the project and positive experiences of the media make possible to continue cooperation in development of health communication also after the project. The possibility to reach large public with mass media increases the possibility to get good results in promoting healthy lifestyles in the future. The establishment and use of the mobile health clinic, development of the content and carry-out of health check-ups (working model), the invitation system for target group to attend health check-ups and improved reach and working methods targeted to unemployed persons increase the possibility to improve health of the target groups with future work in the Republic of Karelia. In North Karelia, self-treatment sites can help to reach challenging population groups and strengthen self-treatment knowledge and possibilities of the population. Also health related events organized for unemployed were able to reach part of the challenging population groups and increased their knowledge of self-treatment possibilities.