Health mediators have helped vaccinate nearly 19,000 children and more than 2,008 adults, and helped more than 22,000 people get preventive check-ups, deputy health minister Nikolay Valov said. The mediators reported on their work to MPs in the National Assembly.
A national training event, "Initiative for Health and Prevention", runs in Sofia until 7 November. More than 320 health mediators will take part in the training programme.
The National Network of Health Mediators (NNHM) organises the event. The health committee of the 52nd National Assembly and the Ministry of Health are its patrons.
The mediators told MPs about their work on disease prevention, vaccines, hygiene and early child development. They also spoke about working with institutions, community campaigns and human rights initiatives.
Parliament speaker Mihaela Dotsova said health also depends on whether MPs stay human when they debate health laws, though not everything depends on them. She added that "the health and life of a person have no colour, no political shade, no majority and no minority".
Dotsova said the mediators are more than go-betweens. She called them social workers and community activists who help people learn more about their health and help build a true civil society. She noted that the health system is under heavy strain. The more prevention there is, the healthier society is and the lighter the load on the system, she said.
"The work of the health mediators is one of the most meaningful things to happen in recent decades, because it resembles the work of the disciples of Christ," said Prof. Dr Kostadin Angelov, chair of the parliament's health committee. He thanked the mediators for their efforts. Work in the field takes great skill and hard work to get health knowledge to people, Angelov said. If they save even one person, their lives will have meaning, he added.
Valov said the event shows how much people need prevention, early diagnosis and good information about their health. The mediators help make sure everyone has equal access to medical care, the deputy minister said.
Zahari Atanasov, chair of the NNHM management board, said communities stand behind the mediators, and they need not only health information but also understanding and trust.
The network's founder, Prof. Dr Ivaylo Tarnev, said the profession has kept its clean image, and the tradition has become a good practice and a mission. He said the profession has long had its place in the health system in Bulgaria and gets results. The mediators are the only ones who reach many people in serious ill health and help them, Tarnev said.
A number of health mediators will receive awards for their joint work with municipalities, GPs and social services.