HEALTH PREVENTIVE ACTIVITIES

The health preventive program of the Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia is designed to address the health priorities of the most vulnerable groups in the population through awareness-raising, mobilization, and health education for the prevention and control of various diseases.

Objectives of the health preventive program:

• Improving access to healthcare in communities,
• Ensuring advocacy and support for humanitarian activities. The Red Cross undertakes activities to reduce intolerance, stigma, and discrimination in cooperation with all relevant partners to improve health challenges in the country, and
• Continuous mapping, education, and raising public awareness on the importance of prevention and early detection of infectious and non-infectious diseases among various categories of vulnerable populations.

Marking Health Preventive Days, Weeks, and Months

The Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia marks health preventive days and weeks by organizing educational workshops, publishing and distributing health informational and educational materials, mobilizing target groups, sensitizing relevant institutions, strengthening local capacities, and raising health awareness. The aim of our activities is to ensure sustainable results in promoting health and healthcare in communities.

Calendar of health preventive days, weeks, and months:

• Week for fight against heart diseases: February 21-28
• Week for fight against Cancer: March 1-8
• World Tuberculosis Day: March 24
• Hygiene Week: April 8-15
• Week for fight against tuberculosis: September 14-21
• Week for fight against diabetes: October 10-16
• Week for fight against addiction diseases: November
• Week for fight against HIV/AIDS: December 1-7
• Climate Change – Protecting Health from Climate Change
• Week of dental care: December 15-21

Involvement of youth in health preventive programs

Promoting health through youth involvement has proven to be an excellent way to recruit new volunteers, and also serves as a medium through which health education is more easily implemented. Youth continuously remain a target group in the activities of this sector through educators who conduct peer education in their municipal organizations.

School youth clubs have been established to educate on HIV/AIDS prevention, addiction prevention, and other health-related topics. Regular program activities include educational lectures, workshops, and campaigns to combat specific diseases and conditions, such as heart diseases, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, substance abuse, diabetes, pandemic infectious diseases, and climate change, among others.

HIV/AIDS prevention among people who inject drugs

The Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has been working for over 15 years on harm reduction from drugs with people who use drugs through a program implemented in three Red Cross branches (Kichevo, Veles, and Prilep). Centers in these branches offer medical and social services to users, providing them with condoms, lubricants, informational materials, and sterile injecting equipment.

Managing Epidemics and Pandemics

Managing and preventing epidemics and pandemics is a priority for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The health preventive program of the Red Cross of North Macedonia addresses the health priorities of the most vulnerable population groups by raising awareness on prevention of various challenges posed by infectious diseases and contributing to overcoming the health consequences caused by pandemics and epidemics.

Activities undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic to support vulnerable populations include:

• Raising public awareness on COVID-19, sharing prevention materials
• Promoting hygiene
• Support in implementing border screening
• Maintaining triage tents at hospitals/public health centers
• Assistance for homeless people and migrants
• Distribution of protective equipment (masks, gloves, disinfectants)
• Distribution of medication for people with chronic diseases in state quarantine centers
• Support for people in isolation and self-isolation by providing food and hygiene supplies, medications, and oncological therapy
• Distribution of insulin for people with diabetes in isolation
• Support for healthcare workers and the population in the COVID-19 vaccination process.

Protecting the Health of the Population from the impact of heat and cold waves

The Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia actively participates in the work of the National Committee on Climate Change and the Climate Change and Health Commission of the Ministry of Health, as well as in joint intersectoral efforts to protect the population from extreme outdoor temperatures (heatwaves, cold waves), and in activities aimed at adapting and mitigating climate change.