The European Commission has adopted a new project worth €12 million to reduce inequalities in access to health care in 13 most deprived areas in the west and south of Tunisia, which represent 40% of the Tunisian population.
A press release issued by the European Commission said this project will directly benefit 4 million people by significantly increasing access to basic health care, the quality of health care and conditions in health centers.
The main actions of the project cover the purchase of equipment for ambulatory services, the acquisition of new vehicles for medical transportation and capacity building of the Ministry of Health, added the release.
The project aims at enhancing access to health services such as medical checks and specialized services as well as improving the quality of services offered in basic and intermediary health centers. The project seeks for example to make screening for chronic diseases due to aging accessible to everybody.
Another objective is to better allocate resources among basic health centers, especially in terms of the technical equipment of laboratories, medical imaging and dentistry.
Particular attention will also be paid to emergency services in remote areas by means of appropriate emergency transport and finally, funds will be allocated in order to better plan and schedule medical services through the review of the health card and adequate training of medical and paramedical staff.
The project also seeks to help Tunisia face the challenges of demographic and epidemiological transition entailed by the aging of the population, which require an adapted and more costly response.
With a budget of €12 million, this new project complements other actions supported by the EU such as the initiative involving the EU and the World Health Organization which was deployed in 2011 and included a component of rehabilitation of health centers.
Moreover, this project involves civil society members including representatives of service providers, the Council of the College of Physicians and the regional and local associations against certain chronic diseases.
