Information about Covid-19 via self-organization of the migrant population in Switzerland
1. Starting position
Number of people infected with Covid-19 is increasing. Central messages and information are translated by the BAG(Federal Office of Public Health) into the main languages of the migrant population in Switzerland (fact sheets). Although this has made previous broad-based information campaigns accessible in various languages, they have not been sufficiently effective in raising the awareness of the migrant population and in raising awareness of the dangers of Covid-19 and desired changes in behavior. The project "Implementation of the Covid-19 protection measures in the migrant population" aims to develop knowledge and skills to provide protection against personal and collective infection of Covid-19 and thus lack of implementation. For this reason, the present project aims to establish low-threshold communication channels within the migrant population (also for people with less formal education and/or less knowledge of the national languages) can be opened up and used to promote awareness and, above all, to bring about an improvement in self-responsible behavioral change through targeted interventions. Interventions can be offered throughout Switzerland (including Romandie and Ticino). It is implemented by PHS Public Health Services in collaboration with the civil society self-organizations of the migrant population.
2. Objectives
The objective is to contribute to the following overarching communication goals of the BAG:
Population is aware of the threat of the new coronavirus / COVID-19, knows the facts and understands the problem.
Population knows the individual behavioral and hygienic measures and applies them
People know how to behave and who to turn to when they have a infection with the new coronavirus.
People with an infection comply with the regulations prescribed or recommended by the authorities measures.
Population remains in solidarity even during a strong expansion.
Specific objective
Migrant population is reached via civil society self-organization of the migrant population (associations, religious institutions, unions, informal groups) with the BAG's main messages and information. They can deal with the messages and information in workshops.
3. Implementation
Online training for multiplicators* and key persons
15.11.2020: Online training for multiplicators*, key persons takes place
Online workshops in the languages Albanian, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian and Turkish
18.11.2020-30.3.2021 Online workshops for Albanian, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian and Turkish speaking migrants*that will take place on about 35 workshops with 10-20 participants (10 Albanian, 15 Turkish, 10 Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian) will be carried out. Total of 350-700 persons and their social environment (families/acquaintances/friends). Workshops focus on interactive information processing with a view to improving the implementation of the measures (discussion, asking questions about implementation etc.).
Social media activities
18.11.2020-30.3.2021: Social media activities are supported by trained multiplicators* and key persons organized in cooperation with the self-organizations. Collection of updated and translated messages and information in various forms (written, audio, audio-visual) are available for training and dissemination. Procedure for the dissemination of information before and after the events has been established and will be implemented continuously.
4. Settings
Project intervenes online in the following settings: associations, religious institutions, other forms of self-organization (informal groups, families, businesses), diaspora media.
5. Financing
Pilot project is supported by the Federal Office of Public Health.
6. Offer for the cantons
Specific wishes of co-financing cantons (e.g. additional languages, number of workshops) can be considered with the appropriate financial contribution.
7. Term
The project will be implemented between November 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021.
Contact info
Contact:
Emine Sariaslan, Public Health Services, Project Manager
Phone: 031 331 21 22
Mobile: 079 7044 73 67
E-mail: sariaslan [at] public-health-services.ch