CAZAS

In 2007, thanks to financial support by the Hoffman – La Roche Ltd. from Podgorica, CAZAS conducted a campaign on the occasion of 1 October, World Hepatitis Awareness Day, with the slogan “Hepatitis? Get tested!”

WHAD 2007 was an opportunity for the global hepatitis community to increase awareness of viral hepatitis (B and C) and communicate facts about the disease to a worldwide audience. The goal of the event was to increase awareness of viral hepatitis among at-risk groups, the wider population, patients and healthcare professionals, by highlighting the importance of early diagnosis, as well obtaining messages of support from key policymakers and promoting best-practice across the world on the management of hepatitis.

The main aim of the project was to raise awareness among most-at-risk groups and wider population about this issue and to work on diminishing the level of stigma and discrimination towards people infected with hepatitis in Montenegro.

Also, we conducted a big campaign supported by media so that all people and especially the young ones could understand that this problem is our reality and it can happen to everybody, including us too if we would not be cautious.

This was the first time ever that the campaign on this important date was organized in Montenegro. Our partners in this project were Institute for Public Health of Montenegro, Clinical Center of Montenegro and Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Podgorica. All activities were conducted by the Team of Trainers of CAZAS and volunteers specially selected by the trainers to participate in the campaign. IEC material was produced by the Hoffman – La Roche Ltd. Podgorica, and given to us so our volunteers could distribute it across the city. Volunteers were wearing the long sleeves shirts

This project was also our attempt to start marking this important date in the future period even more and even harder.
Anent 1 October, WHAD, CAZAS started the campaign “Hepatitis? Get tested!” in accordance with recommendations of WHO. The campaign is organized for the first time in Montenegro and will present an important segment of our work on prevention of HIV/AIDS and help to people living with HIV/AIDS on the territory of Montenegro in the future.

Visual identity of the campaign has been in accordance with this year’s World WHAD Campaign.

The campaign was conducted in Podgorica. It was carried out by CAZAS and Hoffman – La Roche Ltd. and in partnership with Institute for Public Health of Montenegro, Clinical Center of Montenegro and Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Podgorica.

In 2008, also thanks to financial support by the Hoffman – La Roche Ltd. Company from Podgorica, CAZAS conducted a campaign on the occasion of 19 May, WHD, with the slogan on the global level “Am I number 12?”. This campaign was organized for the second time in Montenegro.

WHD 2008 was an opportunity for the global hepatitis community to increase awareness of viral hepatitis and communicate facts about the disease to a worldwide audience.

The goal of the event was to increase awareness of viral hepatitis among at-risk groups, the wider population, patients and healthcare professionals, by highlighting the importance of early diagnosis, as well obtaining messages of support from key policymakers and promoting best-practice across the world on the management of hepatitis.

The main aim of the project was to raise awareness among most-at-risk groups and wider population about this issue and to work on diminishing the level of stigma and discrimination towards people infected with hepatitis in Montenegro.

Also, we conducted a big campaign supported by media so that all people and especially the young ones could understand that this problem is our reality and it can happen to everybody, including us too if we would not be cautious.

This was the second time ever that the campaign on WHD was organized in Montenegro. Our partners in this project were Institute for Public Health of Montenegro, Clinical Centre of Montenegro, Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Podgorica and NGO “4 Life”. All activities were conducted by the Team of Trainers of CAZAS and volunteers specially selected by the trainers to participate in the campaign. IEC material was produced by the Hoffman – La Roche Ltd. Podgorica, and given to us so our volunteers could distribute it across the city. Volunteers were wearing T-shirts produced by CAZAS containing the name of the campaign, slogan of the campaign and logos of World Hepatitis Alliance, WHD Campaign, 4 Life and CAZAS.

This project was also our attempt to make marking this important date traditional in the future.

Since then, we were focused on establishing services and programmes aimed at most at risk populations, including injecting drug users, sex workers, men having sex with men, Roma people and PLHIV, and less on organizing these or similar campaigns. Anyhow, we are determined to continue with where we stopped. Therefore, it is our best intention to become part of WHA and use our capabilities to influence policy makers and our beneficiaries in Montenegro to pay more attention to this matter in the years to come.