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9th July 2007Major new All Ireland Traveller Health Study Launched.
Launch of All Ireland Traveller Health Study by the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney T.D. 11am, Tuesday 10th July, Ash Suite, Croke Park Conference Centre.
Pavee Point Travellers Centre welcomes today’s long awaited launch of the All Ireland Traveller Health Study (AITHS). The Study is the first of its kind in over twenty years and will identify the health status of Travellers throughout the island of Ireland and factors influencing Traveller health.
"The facts and figures that we have on Travellers are very old. We need new accurate figures to identify and address the issues affecting Traveller health such as accommodation, education, unemployment, discrimination, poverty and to tackle new emerging issues such as suicide in the Traveller community", says Missie Collins, Assistant National Coordinator, Pavee Point Health Programme.
Traveller’s health status is significantly lower than that of the general Irish population. "We are dying too young, only now living to the same age as settled people did in the 1940s. The Census 2006 shows that only 2.6% of Travellers are over the age of 65," says Ms Collins.
As it is 20 years since the last study it is vital that Travellers and Traveller organisations are resourced to participate at every level with the HSE and make this study effective. "It’s very important that Travellers and Traveller organisations are involved in this study every step of the way", says Ms Collins. "It will be Travellers talking to Travellers; we’ll get the information and data from our own people. It will be the first time that this approach will be used nationally to identify Travellers’ own health needs," she concludes.
"We look forward to working with the HSE, Traveller organisations and the study team from UCD in carrying out the AITHS,” says Ronnie Fay, Director, Pavee Point Travellers Centre. “It is vital that we have an accurate picture of the current status of Travellers health right across the country."
"We anticipate that the outcomes of this study will be used to identify the gaps that exist for Travellers; highlight barriers to access, participation and outcome from health services in Ireland and will inform the next Traveller Health Strategy. This next Strategy will target resources effectively to address the health inequalities that are experienced by Travellers in Ireland," says Ms Fay. "It is simply unacceptable that in modern day Ireland Travellers mortality rates are comparable to that of a developing country." ENDS
For Further Information Please Contact: Ronnie Fay, Fran Keyes, Missie Collins or Press Officer: Terry Battles (01) 8780255
Issued by Pavee Point Travellers Centre, 46 North Great Charles Street, Dublin 1.
Editors Note:
The AITHS is one of the recommendations to come out of the National Traveller Health Strategy 2002-2005 (Published 2002)
www.dohc.ie/publications/traveller_health_a_national_strategy_2002_2005.html
The study will be conducted by UCD with collaboration from the HSE and Traveller and Traveller organisations throughout the country and is funded jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland and will take three years to complete.