ECOLOGIA's Regional Grant-Making Program

Problem Solving for Better Health in Lithuania

Summary of Year 2007 Grants

Project: “Breast feeding for a healthy child and mother”

Project Need: Because of the lack of the knowledge about importance of mother’s milk to baby’s health and breast feeding positive impact to the heath of the mother, fewer and fewer women in Lithuania breast feed their babies.

Goal of the project: By 80 per cent to increase the number of women who decide to breast feed their babies at least for the 6 months after delivery, by providing women with information, conducting individual consultations for pregnant women, and teaching them to manage their lactation. (Kaunas’ 2nd Clinical Hospital)

Project: “Safe sex education for the 14-18 year old youth”

Project Need: Young people need to be educated in safe sex because number of teenage pregnancies is not decreasing: young people have not complete and not correct information about safe sex behaviour.

Goal of the project: Increase knowledge among young people in order to prevent pregnancies in early age. (Klaipeda Medical center “Sviesmeda”; Western Lithuania)

Project: “Healthy eating habits of school children”

Project Need: Number of illnesses among school children is increasing, and part of the reason is poor nutrition.

Goal of the project: To improve students’ health by conducting workshops and organizing visits to organic farms for 8-10 grade students. Workshops will be conducted during one year period, and will include lectures on healthy food emphasizing organic food and distribution of printed materials on proper nutrition. (A.Lipniunas’ High school; Panevezys; Northern Lithuania)

Project: “Organized time of the children with special needs”

Project Need:During one year period about 220 children and young people (ages 3- 21 year old) attend Psychological service agency of Vilkaviskis’ region. These young people have psychological, intellectual or behavior problems which limit their educational capacity. Parents of the children lack the knowledge on how to help their child.

Goal of the project: Staff of the Agency will educate children’s parents so they can help their children to better integrate into social environment and contribute to the better development of the child. (Psychological service agency of Vilkaviskis’ Region; Southern Lithuania)

Project: “Education on first aid for school children”

Project Need: School children lack basic knowledge on providing first aid in case of accident.

Goal of the project: Improve knowledge of 7- 9 grades students on importance of providing first aid and teaching them how to provide first aid by conducting lectures and practical exercises. (Marijampole High school; Southern Lithuania)

Project: “Prostate – second heart of a man”

Project Need: In Lithuania men usually do not pay much attention to their health, and the number of late diagnosis prostate cancer is increasing.

Goal of the project: Increase early diagnosis prostate cancer cases for the men by conducting health education campaign. During one year period educational campaign will be oriented to the men of the age 45 and above in order to encourage them to apply for the doctor examination in order to prevent prostate cancer or diagnose it in early stage. (Klaipeda Medical Center “Sviesmeda”; Western Lithuania).