Final report of project implementation
Project title: Prevention of STI among adolescent girls and boys, young women in Mongolia.
Implementing agency: Ministry of Health, City Health Departments and New public health local NGO
Funding agency: The Association for the Development of Mongolian Women in Europe
Project funding amount: 20, 000, 000, 0 ₮
Implementation period: October 2013 to March 2014
1. Background information:
Mongolia is a country of youth, around 45 per cent of its population is aged between 15-35 years old. Youth is the future of the our country. In order to develop positive behaviour and healthy lifestyle among youth, it is vital to provide health care service which meets youth’s needs and interest.
Therefore it has been in the center of attention of Mongolian government including Ministry of Health. One of interventions was to organize campaign on promoting Month of Students’ health in the country which requires partnership and support from different players. Thus the donor fund provided by the Association for the Mongolian Women’s Development in Europe has used for supporting this initiative through MOH, Mongolia.
2. Project objective:
2.1. Improve collaboration between government organization and civil societies in health areas,
2.2. Provide comprehensive information on prevention from STI and educational activities related to the subject among the students and youth particularly aged between 16-18 years old,
2.3. Conduct medical examination among girls and young women and organize counseling for them
2.4. Disseminate warming message on cervical cancer development and consequences and its prevention among Mongolian girls and women
3. Implemented interventions:
By MoH’s initiation, every September month of the year declared as “Promoting month of student’s health” was approved by Health Minister’s order # 309 issued by 28 August, 2013. The implementation plan of action is developed according to this order and campaign has successfully organized. Campaign aimed at to intensify advocacy and IEC for changing negative behavior, reducing health risks and increasing health care seeking behavior as well as promotion of healthy life style among the students and youths in the country. Other goal of the campaign was to improve collaboration and cooperation among the agencies working with and for youth. There were 18 interventions in 5 areas related to health promotion for students and youth implemented by Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Social Protection and Population Development, Agency for Social insurance, Mongolian Students’ Association as well as Mongolian Family Welfare Association with financial support of UNFPA and the Association for the Development of Mongolian Women’s in Europe.
The following interventions were implemented with funding support of Mongolian Women’s Development Association in Europe during reporting period of time.
3.1. Press conference was organized through public mass media for the purposes of enhancing public attention to promoting students’ health and conducting advocacy for decision makers and public included target group of population. Moreover press conference gave a chance to introduce the plan of action for the campaign and to extend its interventions throughout the year in a nationwide and to encourage effective cooperation and partnership among the government, non government organizations and civil societies, international community as well as mass media.
The opening ceremony of the campaign for Promoting of student’s health was organized at Chingis Khaan Square in the capital city that is a central square of the country on 6 September, 2013 where hundreds of students, youth and teachers from different universities and colleges and representatives of government agencies and civil societies actively participated in. During the opening, medical examinations included by dental, oculist and gynecologist, STI/HIV/AIDS specialists and psychologist doctors was conducted in which around 3,612 students involved and about 1546 students were participated in body mass index test then provided necessary counseling and information.
3.2. Training/workshop and IEC activities on promotion of healthy behavior for adolescence and youth students were undertaken need and demand based. In addition, through social communication channels such as opening a page at Yahoo face book and twitter, for having live communication, counseling on decision making, solving the problems based on the specific needs came out among the youth and sharing their ideas and thoughts were successfully conducted by officials of city health department. The questions, interested issues, and opinions, believes and myths raised by the youth to social communication channel were analyzed and provided recommendations for all players. Users of this page were able to get clear and correct information prepared by the specialists and professionals. Some adjustments included transferring all information in short form to twitter and yahoo mail address and versa were made for easy and effective use of the page opened. In addition, additional functions for ensuring user’s safety and extra applications for protecting of information and data copying were installed respectively.
3.3.The following addresses for electronic counseling page created have been used by project target group:
1. [email protected]
2. www.twitter.com/student_health1
3. www.facebook.com/oyutan
This e-page has been providing information on location of the hospitals and their time table and advice on prevention of STI, transmission ways and signs and symptoms of STI; prevention of ARI, healthy lifestyle and unsafe abortion, prevention of unwanted pregnancy as well as modern FP methods.
During the project implementation period, there were around 450 users connected with received comprehensive information and counseling on the relevant subject. In addition, about 330 information sheets prepared were post in the page. Subject on healthy and rational diet and food was determined as the most interested and demanding topics to know and learn among the youth and adolescence. Thus additional information on this topic was added into the page.
Example case of counseling service conducted through face book
Example case of exchanging ideas & opinions and providing feedback after counseling among the student-users.
One of key priorities of the adolescence health issues is to widening information exchange on family planning, prevention of adolescence pregnancy and from abortion and to provide a opportunity for conducting evidence based training workshop for the training agency. In this connection, with the donor fund, there were 500 DVD copies of video training materials for prevention of STI, its transmission ways and adolescence pregnancy prepared and disseminated all city and provincial health centers, libraries for universities and colleges for use of future training activity.
3 day-training of trainers on RH issues with focus on prevention of cervical cancer and prevention screening and counseling for the doctors working for university and college was conducted. There were 47 doctors working in universities, colleges and professional and methodological centers involved in. They have trained as trainers and were able to improve their knowledge and skills on RH issues and counseling and shared their experiences and challenges among themselves.
3.4. During the campaign, around 33,000 students coming from rural and pre-urban areas were involved in medical screening -examinations done by dentist, general physician, and oculist, gynecologist and STI doctor as well. This examination provided a chance to determine health condition of and early diagnose of illness among the first grade students.
The donor fund has been used for conducting workshops and IEC interventions on varies topics organized by local NGOs. Topics such as “Family planning”, “Reproductive health” /RH/’ “Sexually transmitted infections” /STIs/ and “Prevention from HIV/AIDS”; “Secret of having happy family”; “Sexual abuse and its prevention”; “Healthy and rational diet”; Prevention from alcohol and tobacco use” and “The importance of health insurance” came out from specific needs of the students were deeply discussed by around 13,000 students during workshop time. Learning sessions were used varies training methods such as role play, demonstration and participation which were key factor for conducting interesting and joyful training. For instant: 49 percent of participants had low level of knowledge about RH before training workshop and after training, their knowledge level has increased up to 91 per cent. Learning activity and workshops organized at the student’s dormitories were more efficient and appreciated by students.
Printing of 45,000 copies of IEC materials on Girls health issue, Adolescence pregnancy, Prevention from cervical cancer, Peer’s pressure, Family planning,Decision making skills/ability, Abortion, Prevention from STIs was supported by the donor fund and distributed target populations.
4. Results achieved:
4.1. Defined directions for improving cooperation and collaboration among the government, non government organizations and civil working for and with adolescence and youth in the country
4.2. Opened up a page at the social communication/media channel such as Face book and twitter for providing information based on youth’s needs and conducting live communication with them
4.3. 47 trainers among the doctors working for universities and colleges prepared for conducting workshop and counseling on RH related issues for the youth and students
4.4. About 33,000 youth and students involved in medical examination were provided a plan for being healthy citizen
4.5 Around 45.000 students and adolescence girls were provided with information sheet on prevention of STI and cervical cancer through this project
5. Lessons learned:
5.1. There is a need to establish Adolescence friendly clinic in UB city which is reflected in a plan of action for 2014
5.2. Information on RH and STI prevention posted in Face book was widely used by students and youth. However information provided in yahoo messenger has been used by press and media people.
6. Acknowledgement:
It is our great pleasure to express our sincere gratitude to the Association for the Development of Mongolian Women in Europe for their support which has used for enhancing health education, the importance of team work and peer counseling among the youths who are the future of Mongolia. The donor support was well acknowledged by all partners, adolescence and students involved in the project.
7. Future direction:
RH education among the adolescence and youth in the country requires to be enhanced in a continuously and sustainable way.
Leave a comment