Northern Ireland Public Health Agency Prioritise Traveller Health

Pavee Point hosted the Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland today.  This Agency has established a Task Force in relation to Traveller health.

“It’s fantastic to see the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency take this initiative,” said Ronnie Fay, Pavee Point Co Director, “And while we have developed a lot of expertise and good practice models here in the Republic  – the Irish state has not prioritised Traveller health enough.”

Nikki Garvan, Public Health Agency Belfast at Pavee Point.

The All Ireland Health Study 2010 is a model in the area of Traveller health and Pavee Point was instrumental in delivering this study. Thanks to our work in developing baseline data and on an ethnic identifier we were able to highlight key aspects of the work to the Northern Ireland visitors.

Missie Collins, Pavee Point; Karen Turner, Intercultural Education Service; Brigid Quirke, Pavee Point and Marie McLaughlin, Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland representatives met with Traveller Community Health Workers to hear about the importance of Traveller Primary Health Care Projects in delivering effective health care to Travellers, the importance of an ethnic identifier and developing baseline data.

Photo: John Paul Collins, Pavee Point with Lucille Lennon, Regional Traveller Lead, Public Health Agency. Photos by Ena Djordjevic.