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| Mobile Clinics and Outreach Programs | |
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 With over twenty years of experience in health care service provision in Palestinian communities, the UPMRC has developed numerous community contacts and networks throughout Palestine. While continuing to work within our mandate to provide health care services, UPMRC has increasingly focused in recent years on outreach activities as a method to improve the overall situation of those in need. We strongly believe that community participation and development from "the bottom-up" is one of the most effective methods for improving health status. We have utilized our extensive networks to conduct outreach and community activities. Outreach and community activities allow us to reach a wider audience and publicize our health messages to the general community. In addition, such activities serve to address the unmet needs of the general public and strengthen our ability to remain sensitive to the circumstances and concerns of our constituents. We conduct variety of outreach and community activities, including: support groups and group discussions, mobile clinics, health fairs, campaigns and home visits. Over 400 communities are served by UPMRC through its outreach efforts. Mobile Clinics Conducted from the Community Health Centers: Mobile clinics and other outreach activities bring services to localities and villages under difficult circumstances, such as closure, curfews, or deprived and remote areas. Mobile clinics have become particularly important during the current Intifada. UPMRC mobile clinic teams and numerous volunteers operated clinics in communities under closure as Israeli military authorities regularly prevent patients from traveling to health institutions, citing travel restrictions and "security reasons." Home Visits: Through home visits, UPMRC staff are able to help those who cannot, due to physical or social reasons, reach our clinics. Nearly every UPMRC program employs this method of outreach, in particular the Women's Health Program and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Program, whose beneficiaries are often physically unable to reach the clinics, or where it is important to incorporate the entire family in the process. Health Fairs: Health fairs have proven to be successful in reaching large numbers of people with UPMRC's health messages. Main activities at these events include screening tests and health education. Usually, these events target population groups that are at certain risks of some diseases, or groups that usually have little or no direct contact with other UPMRC activities. Campaigns: Education is a fundamental component of UPMRC's outreach efforts. For this reason, UPMRC regularly launches education campaigns designed to address a variety of health issues. Examples of recent campaigns include: breastfeeding, road and home safety and oral hygiene. Discussion Groups: Group Discussions and Support Groups play an important role in community outreach, and are an essential component of all UPMRC programs. They are the most commonly employed interactive tool by UPMRC staff and volunteers in the different health education settings, including health centers, neighbourhoods, schools, youth clubs and other community structures. |
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