Helpful Resources Ukraine Program Tools and Resources AIHA Odessa, Ukraine / Boulder, CO Partnership (external link) AIHA Uzhgorod, Ukraine / Corvallis, OR Partnership (external link)

In Ukraine, AIHA partnerships worked with healthcare providers in a number of communities to improve the quality, scope, and accessibility of primary care and prevention services for the populations they served. While primary care was the focus of the interventions developed, many partners also utilized the Healthy Communities methodology to more effectively engage community stakeholders in efforts to help people live healthier lifestyles.

The city of Odessa implemented a number of community-based programs to improve the general wellbeing of its population. With the assistance of their US counterparts in Boulder, Colorado, the Odessa partners developed and implemented a smoking cessation program in the city and nearby sea port district. Medical students were trained to administer a survey to identify and prioritize the health needs of the population. The partners implemented a number of education programs related to HIV/AIDS, including a portable health promotion display focusing on HIV prevention that was exhibited at Odessa area high schools. Partners also conducted a conference focused on using social marketing techniques to develop health promotion programs aimed at HIV prevention.

AIHA partners from Corvallis, Oregon, worked with healthcare and other community leaders in Uzhgorod to increase the population’s understanding of personal heath responsibility through coordinated and comprehensive community and school health campaigns focused on healthy lifestyles.

• Three community health coalitions were formed focusing on health education in schools, community trust of physicians, and managing the community health education resource centers.
• The partnership established three health education resource centers that serve the community by ensuring access to health education information and provide a meeting place for health-related community meetings.
• A peer education program was implemented with two peer groups working with 1,200 students to promote healthy lifestyles.
• After observing the traffic conditions children contend with on their walk to school, the partners launched a road safety campaign and developed a road safety curriculum.
• Partners surveyed school children to assess risky behaviors and used what they learned to develop a targeted healthy lifestyles curriculum for teachers.
• Fifty teachers and 400 school children participated in a smoking cessation program.
• A Youth Smoking Prevention Coalition that includes a broad range of community members was formed to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking. The coalition also formed an anti-smoking peer mentor group.
• Partners also established the AIHA Cross-partnership Smoking Prevention Coalition, comprised of representatives from all seven primary healthcare partnerships in the region. Its members conducted a community-wide youth smoking knowledge, attitudes and practices survey. During the follow-up workshop, participants shared results of youth smoking surveys as well as anti-smoking campaigns and other activities conducted in their communities.

Tools and Resources:

• Youth Risk Behavior Survey (developed by the Uzhgorod/Corvallis Partnership)
• Road Safety "Reflect-A-Life" School & Community Health Campaign materials (developed by the Uzhgorod/Corvallis Partnership)
• Road Safety "Reflect-A-Life" slide presentation (English / Ukrainian)
• Healthy Lifestyles Ukrainian Teachers Conference materials
• Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Communities conference materials (English / Russian & Ukrainian)

Additional Reading:

• AIHA Partners Work in Schools to Curb Adolescent Drinking and Smoking (AIHA Connections, January 2003)
• Stopping the Tobacco Industry's Influence on Our Children and Young Adults (AIHA Connections, May 2003)
• Uzhgorod/Corvallis Partners Train Peer Educators and Encourage a Cross-partnership Anti-smoking Campaign (AIHA Connections, November 2003)
• Healthy Cities Start from Healthy Communities: AIHA Partners Share Experience in Empowering Health Promotion and Social Safety (AIHA Connections, December 2003)