What We Do

Health

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 -

Advocacy and collaboration with health decision makers, working through university students as STI peer educators, and facilitating health promotion campaigns targeting tobacco promotion and use.

Highlights -

Establishing relationships with 33 dormitories across Ulaanbaatar that have resulted in more than 10,000 students receiving information about how to make safe choices and decrease their risk of contracting STI’s and HIV/Aids.

Publishing and broadcasting more than 40 anti-tobacco articles and programs, and more than 30 news spots on television, radio, and in daily newspapers.

Safe Choices

The Safe Choices project began on the 1st of October 2008, and aims to decrease the incidence of STI’s and HIV/Aids among young people living in university and college dormitories in Ulaanbaatar. In close collaboration with relevant organizations, the project has been disseminating information to students about HIV/Aids and STI’s, and is helping them to make safe choices that minimise the chance of contracting HIV/Aids or STI’s. Within one year, the project has made some significant achievements. We were able to reach approximately 10,000 students in 33 dormitories through our 20, trained, student peer- educators and 760 health volunteers by conducting training and information sessions on various topics that are relevant to the every day lives of the young people, and correcting common misconceptions among students about  STI’s, HIV/AIDS and reproductive and sexual health. As a result of our trainings, the students’ self-initiatives in STI prevention and awareness activities were intensified in target dormitories.  One of the biggest achievements of this year was that the project laid solid ground for good working relationships with relevant stakeholders and began to gain their support and initiatives for the well-being of students, which is crucial for the success and sustainability of the project. The project conducted a series of meetings with potential partners and organised trainings for health workers and dormitory managers in order to enhance their understanding of certain features of young people and their sexuality. Working agreements were made with 5 district health centers, 7 family clinics, and 33 dormitories from 22 universities as well as with the Mongolian Student Association. In addition, the project has been utilizing mass media such as television, radio and newspaper to reach more students. In relation to this, the project has signed an official agreement with the local television station and an FM radio station to broadcast special programs, as well as utilising TV and radio spots.  The project is funded by ADRA Germany and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Health Education against Tobacco project (HEAT)

Since its start in July 2008, the HEAT project has been working closely with target secondary schools, some district and sub district government offices, and mass media organizations to raise awareness on the risks of tobacco use as well as lobbying current legislation on tobacco control.  In 2009, the project trained 180 peer educators (including students, school staff and parents) in 6 target schools, through whom anti tobacco messages haven been promoted among their peers. In total 2160 students received information on the negative effects of tobacco use through information sessions and various campaign activities. Our target schools made changes in the schools’ internal regulations to make the schools ‘smoke free’. The project trained students and adults, established cooperation with the respective sub-district governments, and worked with shops and supermarkets near schools so they would not sell cigarettes to minors.

During this period, the project has established working relationships with different district government offices. One of the initial joint activities was the production of a sticker explaining that it is illegal to sell cigarettes to minors, for display at the point of sale in 3000 shops and supermarkets city wide. This year, the project continued working with local Mongolian television networks, radio stations and newspapers, through which, anti tobacco news, programs and spots have been broadcast to the public. The HEAT project is funded by the Australian Government.