Community Development for Health Promotion

Development of a healthy community today represents an important process from different stand point, especially for improvement of population health and for health promotion intervention among vulnerable population groups such as women and children, adolescents, poor people and refugees. Community orientated approach particularly ensures proper identification and meeting the needs of underserved population groups which are most often not recognised among under, either because they belong to special ethnical or cultural groups or to groups of poor. Community strengthening for improvement of their health is realised through the wide and sustainable partnership of local community members, their leaders, supportive organisations, financers and governmental institutions, which is present in all phases of health promotion intervention. Examples of community based health promotion programmes, in world and in Serbia, show that wide partnership ensures improvement of numerous health determinants which is impossible to achieve by isolated health service activities. Authentic community leaders that are educated for successful leadership during all phases have prominence in development of these programmes. Achievement of their long-term sustainability through the multidisciplinary approach is a constant challenge to community based health promotion programmes

Community Development for Health Promotion

Development of a healthy community today represents an important process from different stand point, especially for improvement of population health and for health promotion intervention among vulnerable population groups such as women and children, adolescents, poor people and refugees. Community orientated approach particularly ensures proper identification and meeting the needs of underserved population groups which are most often not recognised among under, either because they belong to special ethnical or cultural groups or to groups of poor. Community strengthening for improvement of their health is realised through the wide and sustainable partnership of local community members, their leaders, supportive organisations, financers and governmental institutions, which is present in all phases of health promotion intervention. Examples of community based health promotion programmes, in world and in Serbia, show that wide partnership ensures improvement of numerous health determinants which is impossible to achieve by isolated health service activities. Authentic community leaders that are educated for successful leadership during all phases have prominence in development of these programmes. Achievement of their long-term sustainability through the multidisciplinary approach is a constant challenge to community based health promotion programmes

Assessment of the training needs and interests among directors of health care services in the Kyrgyz Republic

Aim: An assessment of the training needs and interests of health managers working in the health care facilities of the Kyrgyz Republic was conducted, aiming to tailor and shape future training interventions. Methods: A rapid assessment was organized among directors of health care services in the Kyrgyz Republic, using a web-based questionnaire. Due to the pandemic situation (COVID-19), it was impossible to involve all healthcare facilities as initially planned. Therefore, a convenient sample of 75 directors was drawn with a response rate of 77.3%, or 58 filled-in questionnaires. Results: Among respondents, 60.3% were female and 39.7% male managers, with an average age of 53.5 years. Most of the respondents (89.7%) came to a managerial position by direct appointment, while only 10.3% were appointed through competitive process. More than half of health managers (63.8%) do not have any managerial category, and only 25.7% indicated that they have membership in the Association of Health Administrators of Kyrgyzstan[1]. All respondents reported the need to develop computer skills. Discussion: There is a high demand in all aspects of the management of health organizations. The respondents are deciding about involvement in management training based on (a) the full range of training' topics, (b) the quality of the training content, and (c) the focus on developing practical skills. The most cited training needs are digital health (E-Health), financing management, planning, and quality control; the interest in distance learning courses is excellent. Almost two-thirds of managers reported that the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MOHSD KR) did not evaluate their work. Conclusion: The main implications derived from this assessment are related to the culture of lifelong learning among the population of Kyrgyz health managers.   Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally.   Conflict of interest: None declared.   Source of funding: The project is financed by the Government of Switzerland. The opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government of Switzerland

Assessment of the training needs and interests among directors of health care services in the Kyrgyz Republic

Aim: An assessment of the training needs and interests of health managers working in the health care facilities of the Kyrgyz Republic was conducted, aiming to tailor and shape future training interventions. Methods: A rapid assessment was organized among directors of health care services in the Kyrgyz Republic, using a web-based questionnaire. Due to the pandemic situation (COVID-19), it was impossible to involve all healthcare facilities as initially planned. Therefore, a convenient sample of 75 directors was drawn with a response rate of 77.3%, or 58 filled-in questionnaires. Results: Among respondents, 60.3% were female and 39.7% male managers, with an average age of 53.5 years. Most of the respondents (89.7%) came to a managerial position by direct appointment, while only 10.3% were appointed through competitive process. More than half of health managers (63.8%) do not have any managerial category, and only 25.7% indicated that they have membership in the Association of Health Administrators of Kyrgyzstan[1]. All respondents reported the need to develop computer skills. Discussion: There is a high demand in all aspects of the management of health organizations. The respondents are deciding about involvement in management training based on (a) the full range of training' topics, (b) the quality of the training content, and (c) the focus on developing practical skills. The most cited training needs are digital health (E-Health), financing management, planning, and quality control; the interest in distance learning courses is excellent. Almost two-thirds of managers reported that the Ministry of Health and Social Development (MOHSD KR) did not evaluate their work. Conclusion: The main implications derived from this assessment are related to the culture of lifelong learning among the population of Kyrgyz health managers

Societal Trust Related to COVID-19 Vaccination: Evidence from Western Balkans

The lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination in Western Balkans countries could be partially explained by societal distrust of its citizens, jeopardizing the sustainability of COVID-19 vaccination programs. The aim of the study was to determine the level and predictors of societal trust in five countries of the region. Using an online questionnaire, data were obtained from 1157 respondents from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The instrument included a socio-demographic questionnaire, a measure of vaccination behavior, and a scale measuring societal trust. Being a significant determinant of the COVID-19 vaccination behavior in all countries, societal trust considerably varied from country to country (F (24, 4002) = 7.574, p < 0.001). It was highest in North Macedonia (Mean = 3.74, SD = 0.99), and lowest in Albania (Mean = 3.21, SD = 1.03). Younger, female, less religious, and higher educated tended to have more pronounced societal trust in Serbia. In North Macedonia, younger age and lower health literacy predicted societal trust, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, educational level was the single predictor. In Montenegro and Albania, higher societal trust was significantly predicted by lower health literacy only. The results provide evidence that the determinants of societal trust in Western Balkans vary across countries, indicating the need for different approaches in communication campaigns