Promote Vaccinations among Migrant Populations in Europe
The general objective of this project is to promote immunizations among migrant populations in Europe
PROMOVAX
- Title: Promote Vaccinations among Migrant Populations in Europe (PROMOVAX)
- Funders: Executive Agency for Health & Consumers
- Duration: 36 months ( 2010-2013)
- RUBSI is an Associate Partner
The general objective of this project is to promote immunizations among migrant populations in Europe. Immunization of migrants is a high priority issue for the EU health program within the context of reaching hard to reach populations. Reaching to migrants plays an important role in achieving measles and congenital rubella infection elimination for the year 2010, target set by WHO, maintaining polio-free status of the European Region and control of other vaccine-preventable diseases. The report on the workshop of vaccination strategy, conducted in Luxemburg 13-14 February 2008, summarizes the actions needed to reach the WHO public health targets. These include addressing hard to reach populations and migrant populations in particular, ensuring equal opportunities for access to health care and free vaccination, taking every opportunity to advise on vaccination upon every encounter with health services and implement vaccination programs for migrants with short time of arrival and addressing the language barrier.
As a first step PROMOVAX project will investigate the origin, demographics as well as information in regards to immunization coverage, culture and attitude towards immunizations among the major ethnicities migrating the European countries. Subsequently we will review migrant immunization practices in different European countries by reaching all involved parties, Governments (particularly migrant admitting authorities), NGOs providing migrant care and international organizations. We will identify best practices as well as missed opportunities and gaps in migrant immunizations. An algorithmic approach will be developed in order to address individual migrant immunization needs, depending on factors such as age, gender, country of origin, occupation, living conditions etc. The methodology along with information on immunization schedules in migrant countries and resources for dissemination will be included in a tool-kit format for health professional use. Finally, immunization promotion material for migrants will be developed in the format of a handbook. This will include lay information on immunizations and will be created in a linguistically and culturally appropriate fashion, with the contribution of health communicators, cultural mediators and migrant leaders
PROMOVAX will bring together different institutions and organizations in the disciplines of migrant health, migrant workers health, public health as well as immunizations and will form a network of communication and collaboration in the area. The project targets health professionals, migrants and policy makers in an effort to promote immunizations among migrant populations in Europe. The toolkit, which will be easily downloadable from the project’s website, will facilitate migrant vaccination needs assessment and will advance immunization knowledge and culture sensitivity among health professionals. The immunization promotion material for migrants will promote their vaccine related health literacy and will support a prevention culture perspective. Moreover, and based on the identified best practices we will form recommendations for policy makers.
Through spillover effects PROMOVAX aims to contribute to the improvement of the provided general migrant health in Europe. Immunizations could serve as a vehicle to provide primary care, other preventative and screening services, as well as education to the migrants.
The PROMOVAX project targets 3 groups
1. The primary target population of this project is the documented migrant population in the countries of the European Union. By documented migrants we mean people whose entry, residence and whose relevant employment in a host or transit country has been recognized and authorized by the official State authorities. However, we expect that through spillover effects this project will also reach undocumented migrants as well. More specifically we aim to use migrants’ social networks, such as religious or other type of gatherings, cafeterias, migrant press through which we hope to reach both documented and undocumented migrants. Moreover, migrant representatives as well as cultural mediators will be included in the development of the migrant educational material.
2. In addition, PROMOVAX targets health care workers and other care givers providing for migrants in the European countries. We primarily aim to include health care workers from NGOs providing for migrants, in the elaboration and evaluation of the projects outputs.
3. Furthermore, the project targets policy makers in its effort to promote immunizations among migrant populations in Europe.