Health education for Ethiopian immigrants in Israel, 1991-92

A health education program was developed to address the immediate needs of 20,000 Ethiopian immigrants to Israel in 1991. This modular program included: the use of health services, nutrition, prescription medication use, prevention of home accidents, first-aid and personal hygiene. Using an anthropological orientation, the program attempted to bridge the cultural gap regarding the health promotion skills of this population that had moved from a developing country to a new, Western society in Israel. The program was implemented throughout the country by specially trained veteran Ethiopian immigrants, some of whom were also health professionals, using newly developed visual tools. Over 4,300 adults participated in the program between August 1991 and August 1992. The program was positively accepted by the participants, who expressed their satisfaction with the content and materials. The tools developed were deemed successful in their cultural sensitivity, flexibility to local needs, and clarity. We suggest that various modules of the program continue to be implemented in order to address the rapidly changing health behavior needs of the Ethiopian immigrants in Israel, and that new modules be developed.