On Friday, 16 March 2018 was the launch of a 6-week health education campaign to inform the public about the risk factors for diabetes and hypertension. The campaign is supported by the Accessible Quality Healthcare Project which is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project works with 12 municipalities to improve the quality of Primary Health Care services (Fushe Kosova, Gjakova, Gllogoc, Gracanica, Junik, Lipjan, Malisheva, Mitrovica, Obiliq, Rahovec, Skenderaj and Vushtrri) with a specific focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
In 2016 the project carried out a study of ‘Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Behaviour for Non-Communicable Diseases’. This showed that only 15% of people involved in the study knew about the risk factors for diabetes and hypertension. Therefore the purpose of this campaign is to provide the public with more information about these risk factors so that those people who are at risk know that they should go to their Family Medicine doctor to be checked.
The materials for the campaign have been developed in collaboration with national stakeholders, based on feedback from community representatives.
Prof Ass Dr Ilir Begolli , Director of Department of Social Medicine, Kosovo National Institute of Public Health of states: “Globally, Non-communicable diseases are recognized as a growing health issue, and diabetes and hypertension are known to be two of the most common non-communicable diseases that contribute to long-term health complications and have a major impact on the quality of life for patients and their families.
The National Institute of Public Health Kosovo considers the strengthening of health education and health promotion to be a priority area in Kosovo. We are very happy to launch this campaign because, when people understand the risk factors associated for diabetes and hypertension, they are going to be in a much better position to take small steps that can reduce the likelihood of any long-term health complications or even prevent these two diseases altogether.”
The campaign television and radio advertisements are launched, together with the billboards that will be on display in Mitrovica, Gjakova, Vushtrri and Obiliq and the posters and information leaflets that will be available at all 81 Family Medicine Centres supported by the project. The campaign will run on national and local television and radio networks until the end of April 2018.
Further information about the AQH Project is available at www.aqhproject.org