 |
| | |
| 01.Health Visitor Services |
| | |
The Health visitor services provide preventive health-care services, through the actions of Motherhood and Child Protection Centers, Adult and Traveler Vaccination Centers and School Health services. In addition, they provide protection and health promotion programs for special groups, investigation of infectious diseases as well as design and application of health promotion programs for individuals and groups are available in order to promote, prevent and maintain public health. The mission of the Health visitor service is to create and apply action plans and policies for the prevention and promotion of health and to provide qualitative services of Primary health care through primary and secondary prevention. The vision of the Health Visitors service is therefore the promotion, the prevention and maintenance of public health by creating a community culture which promotes the quality of life and the integration and development of measures, actions and programs for the public’s protection from risks and situations that cause significant health problems and as a result have a negative impact on the quality of life.
- Motherhood and Child Welfare Centers
Motherhood and Child Welfare Centers play a crucial role in the maintenance and promotion of public health. Health Visitors play a major in the promotion of health and prevention of disease which affect infants, children and teenagers as well as the family unit as a whole. According to the regulations of the Health Insurance System Pediatricians vaccinate children and Health Visitors provide services to all the children whose vaccination programme is not covered by the Health Insurance System. At the Centers, prenatal examinations are performed on infants and toddlers with the aim of early diagnosis and intervention, such as the screening of newborns and early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Health Visitors through these centers participate in the implementation of national health strategies of the Ministry of Health. For example: strategy on children’s health rights, strategy on breastfeeding, strategy on accident prevention and the strategy on sexual and reproductive health of teenagers.
Health Visitors, in close collaboration with School Medical personnel, perform precautionary examinations at all Public schools (kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school, high school, technical school and special school) according to the guidelines and work standards of Health Visitor Service.
Health Visitors carry out the following activities/ interventions in all public Schools in Cyprus (Infant, Elementary and High Schools as well as Technical Schools) according to protocols and guidelines. Maintenance of Students’ medical records , Carrying out screening tests (e.g. Hearing tests, visual acuity, tests for colour blindness, checks for scoliosis or other spinal deformations, measurements of height and weight, Participation in the medical examination of students by school doctors Monitoring and Control of Infectious Diseases (in cooperation with a School Doctor), Implementation of School Health Education Programmes (e.g. prevention of smoking, hygiene, healthy nutrition, menstruation, sexually transmitted diseases etc.).
Private schools are not covered by the School Health service. However, the Ministry of health in collaboration with the Health visitor service provides pharmaceutical material, control of immunization coverage and apply the HPV vaccination program for preventing cervical cancer to students of private schools.
- Adult and Traveler Vaccination Centers
Health Visitors provide vaccination services to adults and travelers according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, they provide consulting services to adults and travelers in order to prevent diseases and maintain and promote the health of the community.
- Protection and Health Promotion Programs for special groups
Health Visitors, in collaboration with other agencies and services, provide preventive health care (ex. immunizations, tuberculosis tests, health promotion programs) to special group of people such as enslaved persons, prisoners, immigrants, asylum seekers.
- Investigation of Infectious Diseases
In collaboration with the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, Health visitors investigate infectious diseases (e.g. tuberculosis, viral and bacterial meningitis) according to Ministry of Health protocols. They also perform vaccination in case of pandemic.
The Health Visitor service plans and applies health promotion programs in schools, communities, individuals and/or groups. Health Visitors organize or collaborate with other agencies in order to organize events concerning current issues such as the International Health day, European vaccination week, International AIDS day, Heart diseases prevention week, International day against smoking, Accident prevention week, European week against cancer etc. Enlightening lectures are also carried out for future parents and pregnant women.
Contact details
Telephone Number: 22605406, 22605743
Fax Number: 22605484
E-mail: HealthVisitorsOffice@moh.gov.cy
Address
Ministry of Health
Head Health Visitor Officer
1 Prodromou and 17 Chilonos Street
1448 Nicosia
Cyprus
|
|
|
| English | | Greek |
|---|
| 01. Contact numbers of Motherhood and Child Welfare Clinics
|  
| |
|
| 02. Contact numbers of Adult and Traveler Vaccination Centers
|
| |
|
| 03. Contact numbers of Health Services District Offices
|
| |
|
|
|
|