EuTEACH:
European Training in Effective
Adolescent Care and Health
Report of the eighteenth meeting
of the working group, January 24-27th 2013
P.-A. MICHAUD
COORDINATOR
2
Participants
PARTICIPANTS
COUNTRY
1
Valentina Baltag
World Health organisation
2
Kristina Berg-Kelly
Sweden
KBK
3
Kirsten Boisen
Denmark
KB
4
Domine Françoise
Belgium
FD
5
Janet McDonagh
United Kingdom
JM
6
Anne Meynard
Switzerland
AM
7
Aidan Macfarlane
United Kingdom
AMF
8
Pierre-André Michaud
Switzerland
PAM
9
Oxana Panova
Russia
OP
10
Sergey Sargsyans
Armenia
SS
11
Joan-Carles Suris
Switzerland
JCS
VB
1. Reports from the participants
UK (JM & AMF). The Royal colleague of pediatrics has worked on an adolescent curriculum within the pediatric
curriculum. The e-learning website is much used. It is also intended to introduce adolescent medicine in the training
of GPs. They seem to show much interest in adolescent medicine. The government has recently issued a document
on adolescent health (Russel was involved in its development). The association for young peoples’ health is getting
stronger. One difficulty is the shift towards private practice linked with the new government’s political orientation.
Russia (OP). The department of adolescent health which was an independent institution has been merged with the
pediatric department. Moreover, UNICEF is not any more active in the field as Russia has considered to be too
wealthy to need UNICEF’s support. The St Petersburg team has set up Russian speaking Euteach courses for the last
5 years, with a focus on sexual & reprod. health, risk taking and so on. SS is regularly attending the course (~ 30
participants). The closing of UNICEF is a problem (financially) and the question is opened as to whether the 2013
course will take place.
Belgium (FD/working in Liege). There are still few people focusing on adolescent health in Belgium. The ones that
are involved are mainly psychiatrists (especially in Brussels). The French speaking part of Belgium has sponsored
prevention centers in the area of suicidal conducts but mainly run by psychologists. There is no training in the field
of adolescent health in Liege currently, but FD is invited to give lectures. An organization “Action for Teens” has
set up a meeting at the European Parliament last November (PAM has ben invited to present on training and
education in adol. medicine). “Action for Teens” intends to set up TOT courses in the future, maybe with Euteach
(they should then probably include English speaking lectures).
Denmark (KB). Two other big hospitals are going to set up adolescent programs (with a specialized nurse, and the
concept of adolescent café) with a collaboration with the Danish/Copenhagen team. They are planning a conference
for Fall 2013. They are discussing the creation of a special unit for adolescents with cancer. To summarize their
action now begins to be better known.
Sweden (KBK). KBK goes on giving lecture to GPs with her colleagues. The course is very well assessed by the
participants. A TOT course was organized as well for an audience of people who are in their association for
adolescent health. KBK is responsible for a Swedish textbook on adolescent health, under the leadership of KBK.
KBK was invited in Egypt (Mamdouh Wabbah) to give a talk on communication skills with adolescents.
WHO (VB). VB moved from Copenhagen to headquarter Geneva (with the same profile).Vivian Barnekov is still
partly involved (in fact WHO is shrinking). There was at least an UN action plan for young people which was
developed and to which WHO was partly associated. Now, even if the adolescent group has been merged with
mother & child department, adolescent health seems to get the support of the head of the Department (L Mason). A
report on adolescent health will be published soon. There is an ongoing interest in capacity building (an area of
interest for the Euteach group).
Armenia & Western Europe (SS). Armenia has now an adolescent clinic which is stronger, with professionals who
have participated in the Euteach SS plus a psychiatrist having been trained in Geneva. With the support of
EuTEACH XVIIIth. Meeting Summary / Report of the January 2013 session
3
UNICEF, SS has set up a basic training module on adolescent health (including new teaching techniques). The
program focuses (because the lack of time) on key messages. The Armenian pediatric association does include
adolescent health in most of its activities. A. Kulikov presented a lecture to 350 professionals. SS works with
UNICEF on the issue of inter-sectorial collaboration towards adolescent health (incl. health professionals, schools,
justice, etc.). SS is also still working on the HBSC survey. SS has participated in the Russian speaking summer
school as well.
Switzerland (Geneva/AM). The Unit is more & more involved in teaching for medical students (including simulated
patients). There was an interest also from the school of nursing. The Unit moved to be implemented within the
department of pediatrics. The Unit will also be organizing a workshop with simulated patients during the annual
meeting of the Swiss pediatric society.
KBK & AM have run a 4-5 days mixed TOT and basic course in Kosovo last November, which was very successful.
The course was a mandate of the person in charge of child & adolescent health in the WHO local center (Kosowo).
The audience was mixed and multi-professional.
Switzerland (Lausanne/JCS/PAM). One main task of the Lausanne team is the organization of the yearly Euteach
summer school. A chief resident of the Lausanne Unit has spent two years with the Melbourne team (G. Patton/S.
Sawyer) and will be back in Lsnne in Februaryfuture links Lausanne-Melbourne. PAM has been involved in two
missions in Madagascar (10 days) and Egypt (3 days). He has also co-organiosed with Susanne Stronski a two days
meeting on European network for standards and competencies for school health personal in the field of school
health, under the auspices of WHO-
2. Report of the 2012 summer school, 2013 summer school
The report of the 2012 course is available on the EuTEACH website. The course was again a success with a mix of
plenary and modular sessions, a schedule that was well received. The audience was as ever a mix of clinicians and
public health professionals. It is thus foreseen to organize the 2013 summer school in a quite similar fashion. JC
will circulate proposals around those who can participate. There seem to be quite a lot of potential table leaders
which will be contacted. It is foreseen to assist them somehow financially to participate in the meeting.
3. EuTEACH foundation
The EuTEACH foundation (see last 2012 meeting) is fairly wealthy financially. However, PAM has not been able
to set up a formal fund raising strategy due to his other commitments. On the middle term, the Foundation should be
able to support the hiring of a part time secretary/webmaster.
4 Group work
Three groups were formed which worked on:

A review of two modules (formulation of the objectives, references); mental health & yoith friendly health
services

A review of the formerly developed module on TOT (“training of trainers”)

A review of the formerly developed module on chronic pain
The four modules have been reviewed by all members. PAM will check the layout of the first three above mentioned
modules and JM will concentrate on the final version of the chronic pain module
5. Miscellaneous
Composition of the working group: it is suggested to contact E. Godeau, a French public health doctor working on
HBSC survey to invite her to join the WG (PAM in charge) Members are encouraged to identify a nurse who could
join the WHG as well.
The next meeting will take place in January 2014 (exact date still unsettled)
PAM, February 2013
EuTEACH XVIIIth. Meeting Summary / Report of the January 2013 session