First meeting of key local partners from Republika Srpska within Strengthening Nursing in Bosnia and Herzegovina project supported by the Government of Switzerland took place in Pale. The meeting in Pale brought together representatives of four selected primary health care centers (Han Pijesak, Pale, Sokolac and Vlasenica) and five affiliated primary health care centers from the same area (Trnovo, Rogatica, Srebrenica, Milici and Sekovici), as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska and Fami Foundation.

Meeting key objectives

The meeting purpose was to present planned project activities, discuss local action plans for improving community nursing and strengthening interinstitutional cooperation between health institutions and local authorities.

During the meeting the emphasis was placed on:
- Presentation of local action plans for the improvement of community nursing developed for primary health care centers in Han Pijesak, Pale, Sokolac and Vlasenica.
- Signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) between municipalities, primary health care centers and Fami Foundation, formalizing a joint commitment to improving community nursing services.
- Strengthening interinstitutional cooperation between municipal authorities, primary health care centers and centers for social work, in order to achieve better support to patients, especially vulnerable and socially excluded groups of population.

Supporting primary health care centers and nurses

The objective of Strengthening Nursing in BiH project is to improve the quality of community nursing services, strengthen the role of nurses and increase the availability of health services, especially in rural areas.

As part of the project activities, primary health care centers in this area will receive:
- Community nursing bags with the necessary equipment for field work.
- Education and training for nurses to improve their skills and improve the quality of services provided.
- Support for equipping premises in primary health care centers, which will improve working conditions and services for patients.

Working together to improve health services
All participants in the meeting expressed their willingness to cooperate and their commitment to improving community nursing practice. The signed MoUs mark an important step towards ensuring continuous support for nurses and improvement of health services available to all citizens.

This is another example of how joint efforts between local authorities, health institutions and international partners can contribute to strengthening the health system and improving the quality of life of the population.