Press Release December 2005
Travellers' health
TRAVELLER FOCUS WEEK - 2005 - RECOGNITION
PRESS RELEASE Health 7th December 2005.
During today's event highlighting the status of Travellers' health Dr. Abdul Bulbulia, Chairperson of the National Traveller Health Advisory Committee launched a report reviewing Travellers' health and identifying Primary Health Care as a model of good practice. Dr Bulbulia also stated "I am pleased to announce today that finally, the All-Ireland Travellers Health Status Study has gone to tender, this research is vital as the only available data on Travellers was collected in 1986. This study will identify the health status of Travellers; the factors influencing their health and highlight the barriers to access, participation and outcome from health services. The findings from this study will facilitate the Government to address the inequalities experienced by Travellers."
As part of the event marking Traveller Focus Week Dr Bulbulia also launched a range of new initiatives that were undertaken as part of the PHC project (which is a partnership project between Pavee Point and the HSE):
- Fotochat, a pack of 92 photographs designed by the PHC project Pavee Point in conjunction with photographer Derek Speirs, to be used as a flexible teaching, learning and research tool
- A culturally appropriate Directory of Services for Travellers living in the Finglas/Blanchardstown area
- A visual arts project on mental health developed by the Pavee Point PHC group
Dr Bulbulia highlighted that in terms of accepting or including Travellers socially or into the community:
- 35% of Irish people would avoid Travellers
- 97% would not accept Travellers as a member of their family
- 80% would not accept a Traveller as a friend
- 44% would not want Travellers as community members
The main reasons given for excluding Travellers were perceptions of Traveller's way of life/lifestyle and a feeling that Travellers are in some way not socially acceptable (27%)
Findings from a survey on attitudes, Citizen Traveller (2000)
A national survey conducted by Pavee Point (1997) on the Health of Traveller women found:
- 71% of the women experienced verbal abuse because they were Travellers 25% of these included physical violence
- 34% of Traveller women interviewed suffered from long term depression compared with a finding of approx 9% amongst their settled peers
"The discrimination Travellers face has a detrimental effect on their self esteem, health and mental well being, with this in mind the Primary Health Care for Travellers (PHC) Project explored an initiative on mental health" said Brigid Quirke Health Manager Pavee Point. "This involved exploring the causality of mental health issues for Travellers; what services are available and how and when to access them. The visual arts project identifying these fears and worries was developed as a culturally appropriate and interactive tool. It was clear from the experience of the initiative that Travellers are internalising the oppression that they are experiencing in society. Therefore, a major role of the PHC project is the empowerment of Travellers to advocate and challenge the broader determinants of their health status" said Brigid Quirke.
"Through this project I understand the constant stress Travellers experience daily and the impact this has on our mental and physical health which causes us to get sick more often and die younger then settled people. We need to learn more so that we continue to challenge the issues affecting us like discrimination, accommodation, education unemployment and poverty." Helen Collins (Trainee Community Health Worker)
For further information please contact Brigid Quirke /Dr Abdul Bulbulia Terry Battles Information Officer 01 8780255
Issued by Pavee Point Travellers' Centre, 46 North Great Charles Street, Dublin 1. 01 8780255