Education and Training

NIHMP’s activity includes intercultural training of the health workers dealing with migrants, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking, homeless and nomads. The objective is to protect the health of these categories, to control poverty-related diseases and to facilitate and improve the access to the Regional Health System, also taking into account the different cultural approaches to healthcare. The training is MCE accredited.
The following activities have been implemented:
1. Second International congress “Dermatological Care for All: A Basic Human Right” in Ethiopia in collaboration with IISMAS (International Institute for Social, Medical and Anthropological Sciences), 6-9 November 2007.
After the opening ceremony in the Italian Cultural Institute of Addis Ababa before the Italian and local authorities, the participants moved to Mekele where they attended clinical sessions in the Italian Dermatological Centre IISMAS at Ayder Hopital.
The purpose was to call the attention of the policy makers and the international scientific community to skin and infectious diseases in Africa and to the need of clinical and scientific cooperation in developing countries.
Special attention was given to highlight the best available low cost technology fit to provide dermatological treatment and health training in the field. For this reason, during the congress the book “Health Systems and Skin Diseases: the Case of Ethiopia” was presented. This work was carried out thanks to the precious contributions of Italian Cooperation and UTL (Local Technical Unit) for Ethiopia and represents a precious training and research tool for the Ethiopian Health System in their difficult attempt to promote healthcare of the population.

2. XIV International Workshop “Culture, Health and Migration” at CNR (National Research Council) in Rome from 26 to 29 November 2007. The event was attended by a large audience and had the participation of leading personalities in the cultural, political, medical and educational fields. Among others there were Ignazio Marino, president of the Parliamentary Committee for Hygiene and Health, his assistant director Cesare Cursi, senators Paola Binetti and Dorina Bianchi. Aim of the workshop was to highlight cultural, health, social, anthropological and psychological experiences in Europe about migrants and people at risk of social exclusion. Through an interdisciplinary approach the causes of a large number of situations of discomfort and suffering were analized and discussed.
Particular focus of attention were the European health systems, prevention and treatment regulations, linking and exchange networks between the public institutions and the single centres. The purpose was to point out the innovations and make suggestions in order to supply better services, more fit to meet the real needs of the people.

3. International Course in Transcultural medicine, MCE accredited. It was organized in six one-day monthly seminars from January to June 2008. Leitmotif of the seminars were training and research activities on the promotion of health care and social inclusion. Doctors, researchers, anthropologists and sociologists contributed to stimulate the discussion as well as Italian and foreign representatives of national and international organizations, public administrations, school, voluntary associations, local governments. Particular topics were: social and health conditions of migrants and homeless; related international experiences on this field and strategies; existing social and health regulations; welfare and social inclusion projects. The purpose was to provide valuable training material to help doctors, nurses, health workers and cultural mediators promote health care of migrants, homeless, nomads and people at risk of social exclusion.
4. Similar training initiatives for health workers have been implemented in the Apulia and Sicily regional Centres in cooperation with the local universities, institutions, high specialized research health centres, voluntary and social work associations involved in migration and the control of poverty-related diseases. The first training activity started with the health workers at “Tatarella” Hospital in Cerignola (FG) and “San Giovanni di Dio” Hospital in Agrigento.

5. A multimedia research data Centre is being planned and implemented in the library of San Gallicano Institute to support NIHMP’s training and divulgation activity. It will allow access to scientific journals and national and international databases through NIHMP’s website, and will make possible information sharing and e-learning as well as release the activity of the Centre.