Background information:
The Red Cross as the largest humanitarian organization in the country performs its activities by using its human resources i.e. youth volunteers. Their role is to share knowledge to their peers in the field of healthy lifestyles, HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, healthy eating habits, disease caused by poor hygiene / dirty hands, smoking, substance abuse … In these activities they are either educators or promoters of specific skills through interactive methods, peer discussion groups, and education of parents and teachers. This is to promote positive attitudes and an opportunity for family discussion in the local community.
The objectives of the Red Cross of Serbia in this area are:
- Changing behavior of the entire community and adoption of higher standards of personal hygiene, reproductive health and healthy living practices.
- Contribution to reducing the number of TB cases through education and finding people affected by tuberculosis in Serbia, as well as support to the treatment of patients in Serbia
- Raising public awareness, especially among young people about the harmful effects of substance abuse
Prevention of HIV transmission and STD (sexually transmitted diseases) are fields covered by almost all of the Red Cross of Serbia branches, thanks to the enthusiasm of many volunteers who are medical workers as well as youth volunteers trained in HIV and AIDS prevention and other health topics. Training of trainers and peer education proved to be the effective way of prevention related to young people. Besides trained youth volunteers and health workers, the Red Cross of Serbia also involves people living with HIV in implementation of these trainings. Special attention is given to the social aspect, particularly to the issue of discrimination of people living with HIV and their families. All the activities and all the training implemented by the Red Cross of Serbia emphasises promotion of human values – tolerance, personal and cultural identity and respect for diversity, gender equality and action against discrimination and stigmatization.
The Red Cross of Serbia has representatives in the National Committee for HIV of the Republic of Serbia.
The Red Cross of Serbia organises training for youth volunteers, creates and produces promotion material regarding HIV and PPI for general population especially for the World AIDS Day. Public awareness efforts regarding prevention of HIV should focus on stigma and discrimination, calling for tolerance and appreciation of diversity. Preventive work takes place in schools and other spots according to the principles of contemporary approach and peer education, and abandonment of ‘ex cathedra’ lecturing.
Promotion of healthy lifestyles and prevention of substance abuse in the territory of Serbia, should contribute to reducing the number of people, especially young ones in terms of risk behavior in all its forms and increase knowledge on prevention and healthy lifestyles.
The Red Cross of Serbia, is either the holder of the activities or an equal partner of other organizations in achieving these goals through implementation of continuous education, campaigning and marking the international days that are dedicated to health issues. These activities take place at the local, city and national levels.
The project “To reduce the burden of tuberculosis in the Republic of Serbia through scaling up MDR-TB interventions, strengthening the DOTS implementation, TB/HIV collaborative activities and strengthening TB control in vulnerable populations” is funded by GF since 1.07.2010.
Red Cross of Serbia is a second Principal Recipient for the GF grant besides Ministry of Health RS.
There are four main objectives of the Project:
- The first objective will ensure the strengthening and expansion of the access to treatment and proper management for drug resistant TB cases – MDR and XDR TB
- The second objective is ensuring that the basic DOTS package is maintained and further strengthened
- The third objective is addressing TB Control in vulnerable populations
- The fourth objective is to address the TB/HIV co-infection
Red Cross of Serbia within the project is responsible for the civil society TB control and has 5 key indicators within third and fourth objective:
- Number of people trained in TB and TB/HIV issues, including the screening of vulnerable groups for TB
- Percentage of contacts of the Roma smear-positive TB patients referred to TB Unit and examined for TB out of all contacts of smear positive Roma identified during the period covered.
- Number and percentage of kitchen/meal users screened for TB
- Number of female sex workers screened for TB
- Number of Injecting drug users regularly benefiting from needle exchange programs screened for TB
First two indicators are covered by the Red Cross network in the whole country and second two are covered by NGO network in 4 big cities in Serbia.
| Mapping of National Society Activities | HIV and AIDS | Harm Reduction | Tuberculosis |
| Prevention | Training of trainers, Peer education, Creation and production of information kits, promotion materials and educational booklets, Theatric plays, Distribution of condoms | Continuous education, campaigning . These activities take place at the local, city and national levels | YES |
| Counselling | World AIDS day, Media campaigns, Creation and production of information kits, promotion materials and educational booklets | NO | NO |
| Care | NO | NO | NO |
| Advocacy | World AIDS day, Media campaigns, Creation and production of information kits, promotion materials and educational booklets. | YES | YES |
| Partners/ Networking | National Committee for HIV of the Republic of Serbia, NGOs, media, Health institutions and schools | YES | YES |
| Best practices | Participation in: maintaining of national database on activities related to HIV; developing of the national strategy on HIV; Promotion film ‘The boy who was ashamed’ | YES | N/A |
| (information which, in your opinion, is also important) | Effective cooperation has been developed between the Red Cross and relevant institutions and organizations at both national and municipal level | For more details, please visitwww.redcross.org.rs/kontrolatb | |
| Contact person(s) | Biljana Cvetkovic Youth manager bilja@redcross.org.rs | Milutin Vracevic MD Natasa Todorovic Programme manager milutin@redcross.org.rs natasa@redcross.org.rs | Marija Cukic TB Project Coordinator marija@redcross.org.rs |
Contacts
| Red Cross of Serbia | ||||
| ERNA Contact Information | Head | Head | ERNA Contact Person | ERNA Contact Person |
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Name Surname | Dragan Radovanovic PhD | Vesna Milenovic | Milutin Vracevic | Natasa Todorovic |
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Role in the National Society | President | Secretary General | Programme manager | Programme manager |
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E-mails | president@redcross.org.rs | secretary@redcross.org.rs | milutin@redcross.org.rs | natasa@redcross.org.rs |
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Phone numbers | +381 11 30 32 125 | +381 11 30 32 125 | +381 11 2622 121 | +381 11 2622 121 |
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Fax | +381 11 2634 348 | +381 11 2634 348 | +381 11 2634 348 | +381 11 2634 348 |
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Post address | 11000 Belgrade Simina 19 | 11000 Belgrade Simina 19 | 11000 Belgrade Simina 19 | 11000 Belgrade Simina 19 |