Presentation of the project

The aim of the project “From knowledge to action” is to disseminate evidence-based information on public health problems among decision-makers and the local population in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Health communication can be used to increase knowledge about health among people in different age groups and to make health promotion approaches more effective.

The goals of the project are:

  • to strengthen decision-making and health promotion aimed at chronic disease prevention in the Republic of Karelia,
  • to disseminate intelligible information to the local population about the health conditions and health-related behaviours in the republic, 
  • to support the health communication skills of local health professionals and other relevant persons, and
  • to strengthen the interaction between policy-makers, the media, civic organizations, and citizens.

Background

In Russia, changes in social structures have had a major impact on the increase in health problems and health inequality over the past decades. Many factors influence the health of individuals and communities. When the goal is to solve health-related problems, changes in health behaviours must play a major role.

Smoking, blood pressure and elevated serum cholesterol level are the most well-known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In addition, heavy use of alcohol, insufficient physical activity, overweight and diabetes strongly affect an individual’s health and risk of several diseases. Health and disease risk are also related to socio-economic position. Persons with low income, low educational level and low occupational status have poorer health compared to persons with a higher socio-economic position.

Health promotion should be seen as a comprehensive action, and media, civic organizations, industry and commerce, and individuals themselves should participate in it in addition to decision-makers and the health sector. Since 1992, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and North Karelia Center for Public Health in Finland have in collaboration with Russian authorities conducted surveys and thereby collected information on chronic diseases and related risk factors in the district of Pitkäranta in the Republic of Karelia. The aim of the project “From knowledge to action” is to process the knowledge from the surveys and restore it for local use in the Republic of Karelia.

Responsible institutes

The National Institute for Health and Welfare is the administrator of the project. Planning and implementing the project is the shared responsibility of the North Karelia Center for Public Health, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, the district of Pitkäranta, the Pitkäranta Project and the Ministry of Health and Social Development in the Republic of Karelia.

Funding

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has funded the project.