Over the next 6 days the Ministry of Health along with the National Committee for Families and Children will be holding workshops on communication for behavioral impact. The focus will be on maternal mortality, but - it's not only that and, at the end of the six days, participants would be able to better pass on information about HIV and Aids and domestic violence. Technical advisor Dr. Natalia Larga Espada says that while information is available and accessible, it's not being effectively used.
Dr. Natalia Larga Espada,
"A lot has been done through the different programs and through the different organizations in trying to improve healthy lifestyles among populations but the indicators are saying that we are not too effective. So this is a good moment for us to put a stop and try to do, applying effective techniques that are known to really achieve changes in the population.
Although there is knowledge out there, population has knowledge about the different services that are available and the different ways to prevent these public health problems, the indicators are saying that we are not applying these knowledge and these recommendations of healthy lifestyles.
It is going to help us to be more effective when developing these social communication interventions to let people improve or to practice healthier behaviors.
The services are there. People are utilizing it but from the individual point of view, the actions or the decisions that they have to take to really protect themselves, to really take care of their health is where we are failing. So that is what we are trying to improve."
At the end of the workshops, there will be communication for behavioral impact plans in areas of HIV and Aids, maternal death, domestic violence, influenza and immunization.
