The overall aim of this project was to support the efforts of BiH to establish a countrywide, comprehensive health and pain management network for pain patients and especially for conflict and mine victims. To achieve this aim, the implementation of a standardised procedure for pain management correspondent to international knowledge both at clinical and community level (Community Rehabilitation Centres) was aspired. Pain Management, as understood in this holistic approach, comprises pain detection, pain recognition, pain therapy and pain prophylaxis. To improve the patients lives, the patients were supported and accompanied through all the stages of this process.

Concrete activities, which were implemented, comprised the establishment and organisation of three Satellite Pain Management Units in already existing health centres, the training in pain management of 240 members of the medical staff through six workshops and the further training of 200 doctors through 20 single day workshops about specific pain topics. This project was co-funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation.

Project Background: 

Due to brain drain during the post war period in BiH, there is a lack of a comprehensive, countrywide medical network of pain management for persons with disabilities, pain patients and especially for mine and conflict victims of the war previous war in BiH. The two main problems concerning Pain Management in BiH are on the one hand the lack of adequate and broad possibilities for pain therapy as well as of psychosocial support for persons with disabilities and pain patients and on the other hand the lack of trained personnel for pain therapy.

Project Type

Development Project, Health

Project Duration

01/02/2008 to 31/01/2010

Status

Completed

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Region

Countrywide

Donor(s)

Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), UNESCO, HOPE'87