The Nordic and Baltic countries have a long history of collaboration and sharing of experience in number areas. In violence prevention Norway has taken a leading role in supporting the expansion of good practices, networking, and capacity building in the Baltic region.
WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia, the Public Health Agency of Latvia and the Nordic Council of Ministers are jointly organizing the Nordic-Baltic workshop on the prevention of family violence with a focus on the role of health sector in multisectoral response. The workshop is supported by the Norwegian Government.
Taking place on 8-9 June at the Radisson SAS Daugava, the workshop will aim to explore the role of the health sector in a multisectoral response to the prevention of family violence, focusing on particular children, women and elderly. It will examine closely the role of alcohol as a risk factor for violence. The workshop will bring together different actors and stakeholders from various sectors, and will include policy makers, professionals, journalists and activists working in the public health sector in the Baltic and Nordic countries.
The objectives of the workshop will be to:
a) discuss the role of the health sector in a multisectoral response in preventing family violence,
b) receive the latest evidence on examples of good-practice,
c) exchange experiences on implementing evidence-based programmes for preventing intimate partner violence, child maltreatment and elder abuse,
d) consider alcohol misuse as a risk factor for and as a consequence of violence,
e) debate strategies for a way forward,
f) support the involvement of young journalists from the Nordic and Baltic countries in the public debate on violence.
The workshop will consist of plenary sessions with invited international speakers and include experts from the field of violence prevention from Nordic and Baltic countries. In addition there will be breakout sessions to explore examples of best practice of the health sectors engagement in preventing family violence.
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