HIPP – Health Information and Promotion Project for Asylum
Seekers
The
aim of the HIPP (health information and promotion project) is to
evaluate access to health information among asylum seekers living in
direct provision accommodation in County Galway.
Comprehensive
training and workshops (80 hours) will provide 15 asylum seekers with
the skills to lead ten public seminars throughout County
Galway.
In this way, awareness of issues surrounding
health information and health promotion will be increased, with an
estimated
300 – 500 people from ethnic minority populations. The
findings of
this project will be published in a report and shared at a conference
in 2009.
90 hours of capacity building
workshops with a group of 15 asylum seekers with the aim of training
peer health workers to
work within wider immigrant communities in Galway County. To
achieve this the following activities were run:
a.
Needs assessment of health information needs of asylum
seekers in
Galway is undertaken by independent evaluators in order to provide a
clear picture of health information needs &
issues for asylum seekers. This consultative process will inform the
training needs(Jan2009)
b. Group
development course
for participants (6x2hr sessions: March 2009) and Health Information
and Promotion Training (20 x 3hr sessions: March – June 2009)
c. County/city
public workshops on health information and
promotion will be led by the recently trained asylum seekers/refugees
and will
be open to all immigrant communities (10 x 2hr sessions June
2009). These workshops will assess gaps in
health information provision and
teach community led strategies for
enhancing communication between service providers and healthcare
recipients.
d. Public
seminar and newsletter (July 2009)
newsletter (November 2009)
e.
Intercultural Health Fair - a one day health promotion event for all
new residents of Galway in NUIGalway