Traveller community awareness around Beutler test
Literacy-friendly resources explaining galactosaemia and Traveller health worker training
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The project partners were
Social Inclusion, Health Service Executive (HSE), Cork
Cork Traveller women's network (CTWN)
Traveller visibility group (TVG)
Travellers of North Cork (TNC)
East Cork Travellers (ECT)
West Cork Travellers (WCT)
Kerry Travellers health and community development project (KTHCDP)
About this project
This project developed literacy-friendly resources explaining Galactosaemia and the heel prick test. It also addressed the need to raise awareness about the Beutler test to pregnant mothers in the Traveller community.
Galactosaemia is a common condition among Traveller infants. Existing practices prevent Traveller women from breastfeeding until testing is complete, affecting breastfeeding rates and sometimes being seen as discriminatory.
Multiple organisations worked together to develop print materials, digital materials, and training for Traveller health workers.
More about this project
Lead and partner organisations provided feedback on a literacy-friendly information leaflet and hired a designer to create the resource.
Traveller health workers treceived training on how to distribute and use this resource to raise awareness about galactoaemia in their community.
The leaflet is being shared with local and regional Traveller health projects and maternity services.