A Macro Level Social Work Practice; Health Promotion Program for Improving the Health Status of Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Turkey

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 110 - 124, 31.12.2019

Zeynep Şimşek

Abstract

The agriculture, which is the
second largest sector of employment in the world and Turkey, will maintain its
importance due to the food supply and provision of input to industry. The majority labour force of sector meets the seasonal
agricultural workers (SAWs). Maternal-infant and general mortality and
morbidity rates were at least 3.5 times higher in MSFWs than in general population of Turkey due to lack of
access public health services. We developed a macro level social work
intervention including planning and policy, community capacity development and
social advocacy strategies to decrease health inequalities named Health
Promotion Project of Seasonal Agricultural Workers (HPPSAWs) by using an
operational epidemiological design with the objectives of (1) determining the
health status and predictors of ill health in designing appropriate
interventions, (2) developing new mechanism for access to public health
services, and 3) integration of proven interventions into the system to protect
right to life of SAWs.

Keywords

Seasonal agricultural workers, macro level social work

Supporting Institution

Birleşmiş Milletler Nüfus Fonu

Thanks

I would like to express our special thanks and gratitude to the UNFPA and Turkey Ministry of Health Public Health Services General Directorate, Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration, all academicians and trainers, representatives of government agencies and non-governmental organizations, and seasonal agricultural workers for their support and participation in this operational research. We owe a special dept of gratitude to our project assistant Gözde Yaşar, my public health doctors, and students whose untiring efforts and devotion made possible the successful implementation of the survey.

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