Stifling the potential of many children and

adults around the world is high birth and illiteracy rates, and the lack of access to health care and knowledge regarding preventable diseases. To combat this, ADRA Mongolia works with community volunteers to establish community based services that emphasis nutrition, sanitation, smoking cessations and reducing the prevalence of preventable diseases.

Key Health Education activities include -

ADRA Mongolia’s Health Sector seeks to establish local partnerships and community based services that emphasize nutrition, smoking cessations, healthy lifestyles and the reduction of preventable diseases through education, peer to peer counseling, and advocacy.

Health Education Against Tobacco Project

The HEAT project began on the 1st of July, 2008.  Since that time, the project has been working closely with 6 targeted secondary schools to help provide information to the students on the dangers associated with tobacco use.  The HEAT project has also formed relationships with distict and subdistrict government offices, and mass media organizations to raise awareness on the harmful effects tobacco has on the general public.  Through the relationships with government officials, the HEAT project has been able to successfully lobby current legislation on tobacco control to help curtail direct and indirect tobacco advertisements.

In total, 7,600 students have directly received information on the negative effects of tobacco use through information sessions and campaign activities.  In addition, the project has trained over 180 peer educators and adult trainers to become primary facilitators of anti-tobacco related trainings to young adults.  The targeted schools have made changes in their internal regulations to help make the schools ‘smoke free.’

In 2010, the HEAT project established a working relationship with jurisdiction offices in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. One of the initial joint activities was to organize a working group with key local partners to help improve the legal environment for anti-tobacco efforts, restrict the trade of tobacco related products, and establish a smoke free environment for government and non-governmental organizations.

In 2010, the HEAT project also continued to expand its use of media to reach a larger population via television, radio and newspaper through which anti-tobacco news, programs and spots have been broadcast to the public.  The HEAT project is funded by the Australian Government.

Safe Choice Project

The Safe Choices project began on the 1st of October, 2008.  The project aims to decrease the incidence of STI’s and HIV/Aids among young people living in university and college dormitories in Ulaanbaatar.  By working in close collaboration with local organizations who have similar goals and aspirations, the project has been able to provide students with information about HIV/Aids and STI’s, and is helping these students make safe choices to help minimize the chance of contracting one of these harmful infections.

To date, the project has been able to reach approximately 25,000 students in a total of 33 dormitories across 5 districts of Ulaanbaatar.  Over 760 health volunteers have conducted trainings and information sessions on a variety of relevant topics.  Working agreements have been established with 5 district health centers, 7 family clinics and 33 dormitories from 22 universities.

In 2010, the Safe Choices project held over 200 activities and trainings conducted by locally established clubs and volunteers, as well as the field and project trainers.  These activities were conducted to help deliver information in a creative way, as well as erase many of the misconceptions that young people have about STIs and safe sex practices.

In 2010, the Safe Choices project also utilized the media as a means of reaching a greater number of young adults.  The project has been delivering local television programs as well as FM radio programs to thousands of people throughout Ulaanbaatar.  The

Safe Choices project is funded by ADRA Germany and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).