“Women Initiatives for Development” Public Union, with the support of the Council of State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations under the Auspices of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, has completed a four-month project “Conducting public awareness campaigns on viral hepatitis among the population”.

This was reported to Eurasia Diary by the Chair of the organization, the head of the project Ziba Nabiyeva.

The head of the project said that preventive measures and proper awareness play an important role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. From this perspective in support of socially oriented state policy and “Global Strategy” program of WHA in struggling with infectious diseases our organization has executed the abovementioned Project with the purpose to strengthen civil society initiatives in struggling against viral hepatitis.

At general penal colony #6, #4 and educational institution for juveniles of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice were held enlightenment events on Virus Hepatitis. Prisoners are provided with extensive information and recommendations on what is hepatitis, the types of viral hepatitis and the history of their discovery, the symptoms of the disease, the clinical flow, the ways of infection, rules of protection against the disease and the preventive measures. The head of the project Ziba Nabiyeva delivered the information to the participants through an electronic presentation and animation video.

In the events hold in an interactive way Rashad Hasanov, a doctor, gastroenterologist-hepathologist, Nurana Isabalayeva, a physicial-hepathologist and Samira Mukhtarova, a doctor-functionalist spoke related with the topic and gave information about other diseases and co-infections which accompany viral hepatitis, as well as negative impact of bad habits over the flow of  diseases and the organism in general. The questions of the prisoners were listened to and responded by the doctors.

In total, more than 400 male and female prisoners, as well as 40 juveniles were enlightened on the subject and received appropriate advice from doctors.

Within the frameworks of the project and with the purpose to provide awareness among the prisoners and to extend the coverage the representatives of Penitentiary Service were presented specially designed 3 unit boards in the dimension of 0.7mx1m and 1000 flyers which reflected the ways of contamination of viral hepatitis. As an input to the project the teen-age prisoners were provided with oral hygiene supplies as gifts.

The attendees of the events were the representatives of Medical Head Department of the Ministry of Justice, penal colonies #6, #4 and educational institution for juveniles of the Penitentiary Service, doctors and project executors of “WID” PU.

Public awareness was also available from the organization's FB social network page https://www.facebook.com/WIDQT/. Short videos about Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are  widely shared on the social network.

Coverage and presentation format of enlightenment informations prepared within the framework the project was highly appreciated by the authorised representatives of the Main Department of Medicine and the penitentiaries of the Ministry of Justice, as well as medical experts.