News
Article by Dr Andrew Bond on HealthProm’s work published in the journal of the RCOG
Read more here
HealthProm's 25th Anniversary - November 12th 2009
On November 12, 2009 HealthProm celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a reception at the Royal Asiatic Society in London (immediately after HealthProm's AGM). This fantastic event brought together HealthProm's friends and members, trustees and partners, individual and corporate supporters to celebrate the charity's achievements in the USSR and its successor states over the last quarter of a century.
The evening started with presentations about the past, present and future of HealthProm, and was opened by Robert Scallon, HealthProm Acting Chairman, who welcomed the sixty guests and introduced the first speaker, Dr John Robinson, the first Chairman of HealthProm. Dr Robinson talked about the origins of HealthProm back in 1984 as the UK- USSR Medical Exchange Programme. After that various speakers talked about HealthProm's current and future projects in Russia, Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. Noteworthy were presentations by our Kyrgyz partners who were in London for a study visit. A representative from the Russian Embassy presented HealthProm with a letter of congratulation from the Russian Ambassador, and a representative of the Kyrgyz embassy gave her verbal congratulations.
Attendees then relaxed to a wonderful classical music performance by talented young musicians from the Art Impact Group and enjoyed excellent Central Asian food from Pasha Kyrgyz-Kazakh Restaurant. Employees, trustees, volunteers, members, and guests all mingled and enjoyed what proved to be a highly successful evening. A raffle was held which raised funds for HealthProm's work.
Robert Scallon, HealthProm Chairman, said: "We have come so far in 25 years and are very proud of HealthProm's achievements. We look forward to HealthProm's further development in the coming years."
HealthProm Summer Concert - June 4th 2009
Click here for more details
Fundraising committee member Alexander Teddy completes duathlon and raises over £300 for HealthProm
On Saturday 25th April, under a blustery sky, Alex Teddy took part in the Bletchingdon Big Sky Tri 2009 Duathlon. Unfortunately for Alex, he was competing alongside a field of talented athletes, some of whom had been round legs of the Tour de France, or who had Iron Men medals tucked under their lycra belts.
Well, Alex made it round the 5km run, 16km cycle and final 2.5km run and still managed to show a pulse at the end. In fact, his time wasn’t too laughable either – 1 hour 03 minutes, setting a new course record for the last stretch of 9 minutes 8 seconds. Not the overall winner, Alex said he felt “satisfied” with the outcome, before making a beeline to the pub.
Alex raised over £300 for the event, all of which goes to HealthProm.
HealthProm founder Dr. Stewart Britten gives a talk on child psychiatric development to UNICEF, March 2009
To see the content of the talk click here
English-Russian Book, Early Relationships And Child Development, Launched At British Embassy, Moscow
A book, co-authored by Russian and British authors, analysing the social and emotional development of children, and entitled Early relationships and child development, was launched at the British embassy. It examines the importance of stable relationships for the infant.
The book is based on observations made during the “Young Child Attachment Project”, carried out between 2006-2008 by the St Petersburg Early Intervention Institute in conjunction with the registered charity, HealthProm (Great Britain), supported by the European Commission, and is published under the aegis of the publications department of the St Petersburg National Fund for the Protection of Children from Abuse.
During the book launch, the paediatric neurologist, Svyatoslav Dovbnya, pointed out that feelings of safety, warmth and comfort are vital to small children. It is these very things that are lacking in children’s homes. The adults who surround them are constantly changing, so that the children are unable to adapt to, let alone attach to, a single person. By way of example, Dovbnya cited research according to which the IQ of a two year old living in a children’s home is significantly lower than that of a child of the same age living in a family.
The observations of British professionals are frequently quoted in the book Early relationships and child development. One of the co-authors of the monograph, Christine Puckering, a doctor of clinical psychology, talked about the programme Mellow Parenting.
Our attention is focussed not only on childrens
behaviour, but on relationships within the family unit explained Dr
Puckering.
The programme Mellow Babies,developed on the basis of this focus, is aimed at mothers with post natal depression and babies under a year old. The cost of Mellow Babies in Britain is about £1,000.00 (about 51,000 roubles) per family, a sum that includes staff training, management, employees wages, the cost of venues and support for the children’s groups. It is a significant sum but, in Dr Puckering’s view, it actually saves money which would otherwise be spent later on psychological support for mothers and children, maintenance for foster families and detention centres. In Russia, the programmes Mellow Parenting and Mellow Babies have been implemented in St Petersburg and Velikii Novgorod.
Another of the book’s co-authors, the clinical psychologist, Tatiana Morozova, introduced the schemes for early intervention, intended to support families with children under three. The structure and function of roles within a family are altered by the advent of a child. It is, according to Ms Morozova, the optimal period in which to introduce the scheme, with significant progress being made at minimal cost. In her article, Ms Morozova concludes that preventative measures carried out in maternity units in Ekaterinburg, the Leningrad Region and Khabarovsk have lowered the risk of rejection of newly born babies by 30%. The participants in the book launch are convinced that, with government support, better results could be achieved by developing more early intervention schemes.
The monograph, with a print-run of 2,500 copies, and divided into nine chapters, is aimed at psychologists, teachers, doctors, social workers and other professionals, as well as at the heads of social, educational and health services, responsible for policy making and decision taking in the field of family support.
http://www.asi.org.ru/ASI3/rws_asi.nsf/va_webpages/A17551AFFD669656C32575620035833DRus
Press Release: Bishkek, 2nd March 2009
Website Devoted To Disability Issues Is launched In Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, a website devoted to disability issues was launched for the first time in KG zone - www.kelechek.kg. The purpose of the website is to provide information on disability issues, particularly for children with disabilities, as well as useful tools for parents, professionals and many organizations and institutions concerned with disability issues.
This was the Association of Parents of Disabled Children’s (ARDI) first time using the internet for their work within the HealthProm project of “Supporting children with disabilities and their families in the Kyrgyz Republic” funded by the Big Lottery Fund. A specialist to develop and fill the content of the site was invited. The technical support was given by Asianfo and Hoster.kg companies.
Visitors can find the latest news and images, a section for parents and professionals, as well as useful information for organizations working on disability issues in the "information center" link at kelechek.kg. On this webpage visitors will find sub-sections of legislation, publications, databases, interesting information and other links to useful information. The site also provides the option to increase the font size for people with vision problems.
"We hope that this site will be interesting and useful for many, as it will cover disability issues in the country and we believe that it would make a feasible contribution to changing the future of children with special needs, and thus their families. If you have news, articles, announcements and interesting information that relate to disability issues, please send them to info@kelechek.kg, and we will try to post them on the site in their respective sections."
Tamara Dyikanbaeva, chairman of the Association of Parents of Disabled Children (ARDI).
# # #
Notes for the editor:
Association of Parents of Disabled Children (ARDI), Bishkek founded in 1995, provides advice and support for parents and their children with disabilities, as well as seeking to realize the full potential of children and young adults with disabilities by their full development and integration into society.
Contacts and Further Information:
Tamara Dyikanbaeva, ARDI
Tel.: 0312 517634
Email: ardi@alatv.kg, ardi.kyrgyzstan@gmail.com
Please support HealthProm. You can join our 2008 appeal by visiting the link below. Thank you.
http://www.justgiving.com/healthprom-2008-appeal
News flash: ‘Health Improvements Continue in Azerbaijan’
A follow-up visit to Baku and Sheki revealed that improvements in the services introduced during HealthProm’s three-year project continue to benefit mothers and babies.
Staff in Sheki, where facilities are rudimentary, were happy to report that mothers, who expect high standards of care, are choosing to give birth there among people they know and trust, instead of transferring for delivery to Baku, where facilities are excellent.
Mothers and children must be healthy to survive in the poor circumstances in which many of them live.
This is a big boost for staff in their efforts to become a designated centre of excellence in Azerbaijan, which is among plans of the Minister for health for development in the area.
See photographs:
A healthy baby is born in Sheki, showing signs of encouragement as health improvements do continue...
Such as at a newly reburshised post-natal ward in the town
Of course there is ongoing need for support as..
Mothers
and children must be healthy in order to survive their sometimes poor
living conditions
And some basic facilities for hand-washing in Sheki remain poor
Tajikistan In The Press
By way of an indication of the level of need in Tajikistan, we provide a link to an article recently published by the BBC, which shows the increasing number of women in the area prepared to sell their own babies:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7843918.stm
Healthprom Hosts Highly Successful Fundraising Event - Cello Recital In Memory of Mstislav Rostropovich, 3rd December 2008
Healthprom would like to thank all those who took part in the event for making it a hugely enjoyable and memorable occasion, raising valuable funds for the the charity.
For an overview of the event - click here
Rucksack Gifts for Midwives!
Midwives, in Russia and Azerbaijan, caring for women during childbirth in their own homes or in small community-based hospitals, have only the most basic equipment, or none at all.
Mr Phil Barclay, CEO, Director of Marketing and New Product Development, Clinical Innovations Europe Ltd., has generously donated 100 fully equipped rucksacks for midwives. They are easy to carry when called to a woman in labour and midwives will be able to cope with normal childbirth, as well as sudden emergencies, secure in the knowledge that they have everything they need to provide safe care for mothers and babies. Undoubtedly, lives will be saved and midwives will be able to cope with complication swiftly and effectively.
Healthprom Features in the newspaper 'Vecherinij Bishkek', 18th June 2008
Read the original article here.
Healthprom's Altai Project Receives Praise From Independent Evaluator
HealthProm has won praise from an independent evaluator for its work with disabled children and their families in rural areas of the Altai region of Russia.
The project took place from July to November of 2007 and aimed to promote the social inclusion, development, and where necessary, the rehabilitation of disabled children in the Altai region.
Elena Tkatchenko-Schmidt, Chairman of HealthProm, said: “We are delighted to have won praise from an independent assessment of our work. The Altai project is a prime example of the way Healthprom can work together with local NGOs - in this case the Russian NGO Rebirth - as well as local specialists, and families, to improve the quality of life for children in the region.”
The project included research and assessment of the needs of disabled children in the area, conferences at the start and finish of the project to share findings and results with neighbouring regions, the creation of two child care centres for children with disabilities, training of specialists, and capacity-building for local NGO partner Rebirth.
Sarah Lindemann-Komarova, the independent evaluator who conducted the assessment, said: “This was a very clear and targeted project that achieved all its expected results and a great deal more than could have been expected considering the challenges faced. It is one of the most coherent results from an internationally supported project that this evaluator has seen. It was an impressive effort all around.”
Healthprom Wins Funding From 'The Big Lottery Fund' For Kyrgyz Project With Disabled Children And Their Families
HealthProm has been awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund of £352,767 for a three-year project in the Kyrgyz Republic which will support young disabled children and their families. This grant will finance 100% of the project budget.
Elena Tkatchenko-Schmidt, Chairman of HealthProm, said: “We are so grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for enabling us to embark on this important project. We are also pleased that the work of HealthProm is help in such high esteem that we have been entrusted to carry out this project with our local partner. The result will be a sustainable improvement in the lives of disabled young people and their families.”
The project, in the Issuk Kul and Bishkek regions of Kyrgystan, aims to reach children living with mental health and physical disability issues and their families in order to provide information and support and to prevent the child from being signed to an institution. It will work with families that include children living with such disabilities as autism and cerebral palsy and also address attitudes of the wider community towards them. One support centre will be established in each target area, each with its own minibus to provide outreach services to mountainous, rural areas. Volunteers and health and social care professionals will be trained to provide counselling to new parents. To promote inclusivity, joint opportunities will be made for activities for children with and without disability.
Public awareness campaigns will seek to change attitudes towards children living with disabilities. The project will also look at post-natal care through the establishment of parent support networks. It will fill the gap in knowledge and information resources in the Republic about prevention of disability and alternative approaches to child disability, particularly those that integrate medical, social and educational approaches to the benefit of the disabled person.
The Times Of Central Asia Reports On Healthprom's Kishti Rehabilitation And Learning Center For Disabled Children In Dushanbe
2 June 2008
The Times of Central Asia
English
(c) 2008 Asia Pulse Pty Limited.
DUSHANBE, June 2 (TCA) - The British-based NGO HealthProm has provided more than $60,000 for establishment of the Kishti Rehabilitation and Learning Center for disabled children in Dushanbe.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus after an official opening of the Kishti Center, Mr. Jonathan Watkins of HealthProm said on May 30 that the funds had been provided mainly for renovation of premises and training of specialists and service personnel. According to him, the Kishti Center seeks to provide a safe place for vulnerable children and their families in an environment, which supports children to develop to their full potential and assists parents to care for their children at home. The ORA Tajikistan disability project coordinator, Rachel Cage, told Asia-Plus that five specialists had been invited from abroad to work with disabled children and their parents and train the center personnel. ORA Tajikistan has allocated some $40,000 for establishment of the Kishti Center, the coordinator said. HealthProm works with local communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to improve health and social care for vulnerable women, the newborn and children in the region. Its projects promote healthcare and social reform to ensure availability and accessibility of information and services to healthcare providers, mothers and children in the FSU. This includes the development of safe childbirth and newborn care, infection control and the care and rehabilitation of children with disabilities.
The ORA Tajikistan disability project has pioneered work with children with disabilities and their families Tajikistan for the last 6 years. Press release issued by ORA International , in particular, said, “As a result of our work with older school age children we have become increasingly convinced of the need for early intervention for babies and their families at birth to support and educate parents and prevent placement into institutional care.”
The partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH), HealthProm, ORA Tajikistan and NGO Zdorovye (Health) was established in 2007. The aim was to create opportunities for children and parents so that children with additional needs in the community could be better supported and so that more parents would feel able to retain the care of their children at home. As a result of this partnership, the 'Kishti' Center, a unique place in Tajikistan where children and families from the community can learn and play together with children from Baby Home 1 was established. Kishti began work on February 20 2008 and now has 50 children who attend both from the community and the baby home.
