Lung Health – Project Closure Press Release
“Nothing for us without us.” This principle guided us two years ago when we started the “Civic Engagement for Better Community Health” project. This initiative targeted individuals affected by or at risk of tuberculosis and /or HIV, empowering them to become stronger voices in their communities.
Citizen involvement in civic life has visibly increased over the past 10 years and is becoming more powerful and effective. Often, public administration and political bodies only react to public pressure. Therefore, through this project, we aimed to contribute to a healthy democratic society where the voices of communities and those affected by public health policies are heard.
We have strengthened the Stop TB Romania Partnership.
We are now an informal network of 16 organizations with extensive history and experience in projects dedicated to reducing the impact of HIV and Tuberculosis on public health in Romania. If you want to work with us, you can find us here: Stop TB Romania.
We engaged 38 individuals affected by or at risk of tuberculosis and/or HIV from across the country who are eager to solve problems in their communities. We conducted training on what advocacy means and how to do it, discussing ways to make our voices heard as citizens with the right to contribute to the implementation of public policies in Romania. We also created a user-friendly resource, a Practical Guide to Public Health Policy Advocacy, for anyone interested in future advocacy actions (this material was created in Romanian): Practical Guide.
We developed two online course modules, “Public Health for All” and “Advocacy for Public Health.”
In less than 6 months, nearly 250 people from across the country have taken at least one of these course modules. The content was created by Dr. Marius Ungureanu, a faculty member and researcher in public health and health systems at the Public Health Department of Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj. The two modules are available in the Romanian language: Public Health for All and Health Advocacy.
We conducted two annual information and awareness campaigns on March 24, World Tuberculosis Day.
Local and county authorities from 30 counties joined us, illuminating nearly 60 iconic buildings in red, the symbolic color of the fight against tuberculosis. STB and Metrorex ran short videos about tuberculosis on public transport and in stations, and numerous hospitals in Bucharest and across the country distributed informative materials created within the project.
We carried out an advocacy campaign at both central and local levels with our new allies from across the country.
We gathered issues of interest for their communities from the 38 training participants, and problems they want resolved. We didn’t limit ourselves to public health situations but also looked at environmental issues, urban mobility, health education, housing, respect for human rights and patient rights, and other aspects that directly or indirectly influence the community’s health.
At the end of this project, we know we must continue. Just as one flower does not bring spring, a single petition does not change things. But the beginning is extremely important, and each citizen who gets involved, each small step towards solving a problem, shows us that we are moving forward and not standing still.
We invite you on January 30 at 11:00 AM on Facebook (Stop TB Partnership) for the project closure conference, where we will discuss our successes and the barriers we encountered.
The project was implemented by the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation in partnership with the Association for Supporting Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, with financial support from the Active Citizens Fund Romania, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the EEA and Norwegian Grants 2014-2021; for more information, visit EEA Grants.
Contact Person: Cristina Enache, Project Coordinator, cristina.enache@raa.ro, 0721271470
