NPET Booklet 2012-2013

NPET Booklet 2012-2013

2012-2013

National Peer Education & Training Programme www.mmsa.org.mt

NPET ‘11-’12

The Malta Medical Students Association (MMSA) (l-Għaqda tal-Istudenti tal-Mediċina ta’ Malta) is a non-governmental, non-political student organisation founded in 1951.

MMSA has its foundation at the University of Malta where it has been the most active student organisation for the past 10 years. It is a full member of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and European Medical Students’ Associations (EMSA).

The MMSA aims to enhance the medical student life through promoting active participation in the academic system, international exchanges and training in various fields of the public health sector. MMSA also aims at empowering society to become functionally involved in holistic health decision making.

As part of IFMSA, it enjoys international status amongst 97 National Member Organizations encompassing over one million medical students globally. MMSA is supported actively by the Health Promotion Department.

Peer education is a process through which well trained and motivated young people educate peers, meaning those similar to themselves in age group. This is an interactive and non-formal style of education that creates a safe environment in which those learning feel comfortable asking questions or discussing issues which they may not be able to voice with their teachers or at home. The aim therefore, is to aid the development of young people’s knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and skills and to enable them to be responsible for their own health, rights and social development.

NPET’S MISSION STATEMENT

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Contents Introduction 1 Message from the MMSA President

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MMSA, Peer Education and You 4 Peer Education and Public Health

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Peer Education and Sexual Education

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Peer Education and Human Rights 9 Other MMSA Campaigns for your school

Editor:

Fabrizia Cassar

Design:

Elizabeth Gialanze`

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Proofreading team: Gabriel Joshua Ellul, Sacha Buttigieg, Stephanie Vella Contributors:

Daniel Vella Fondacaro, Fabrizia Cassar, Thelma Xerri, Bernard Galea, Matthew Valentino, Anna Sophia Zafar, Matthew Baldacchino, Maria Christina Axiaq, Janice Azzopardi, Martina Papa, Sarah Micallef, Stephanie Grech, Rebecca Galea, Ganluca Maresca,

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Message from the - MMSA President Dear friends, The MMSA peer education and training sector is one of our association’s proud building blocks. This project circles around a simple, yet very important concept: One has to create a positive impact on the present young generation to promote good change in the future society.

Young students may find themselves lost or bored when discussing sensitive and personal topics with people who are of a different age group, such as primary school teachers or counselors. It is for this reason that a dedicated team of medical students visit schools, deliver sessions and work hard in this ongoing project to deliver useful information and advice to our future society by means of informal education to our younger generation, while maintaining the programme’s structural continuity. The sessions take a form of a discussion, and the young student can take up an active role in his/her own learning, instead of passively listening to the consequences that would arise if one does not adhere to good principles and choices. This strengthens the decision-making element and gives the younger generation a sense of responsibility, rendering them capable of making good decisions not solely to conform to the social norm, but because they truly believe that it is the right thing to do.

The topics discussed deal with health-enhancing change, and include those related to public health, human rights, sexual health etc. such as drug use and abuse, anti-racism and anti-tobacco sessions. The MMSA peer education and training program also organises training sessions for those who would like to participate in the distribution of information. These seminars, such as Training New Trainers and the NPET Weekend, include sessions on presentation skills, time management, motivation, energisers, conflict management etc.

The MMSA constantly works with national and international bodies to make the programme as effective as possible. These include the EAD (European Action on Drugs), the European Centre for Educational Resilience and Socioemotional Health (at the UoM), the Agenzija Zghazagh, the International Federation for Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and other student organisations such as the MHSA (Malta Health Students’ Association) and the SFHL (Students for Healthy Living). This program is being constantly updated and we would be very happy to accept any form of feedback and suggestions from students or youth organisations on how we can improve the system.

I invite you to continue reading the following articles in this booklet which will serve as a guide, and will give you a more specific view on the different parts of the programme.

You can visit our website on www.mmsa.org.mt/peer-education/ or contact us on npet@mmsa.org.mt for further information regarding the program, or if you have any suggestions or comments.

Yours, Daniel

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

NPET, Peer Education and You

Dear readers, The reason for putting this booklet together is to introduce you to the Malta Medical Student’s Association and to the peer education programme run by the Standing Committee on Peer-Education and Training (NPET.) This educational programme tries to answer the various demanding questions which children and youths may have and can thus be of great benefit to your students.

Peer education doesn’t involve directly telling teens what to do and what not to do; rather it prompts discussion and reflection through interactive techniques and non formal conversation. Studies have shown that instilling a sense of fear doesn’t work with teens, Peer education uses peer influence to positively impact the adolescents’ decisions. It allows youths to gain the required knowledge to make a proper and informed decision. The sessions are designed to encourage students to think and are very flexible, because we are aware that all groups of peers are different.

When I was a teenager I wouldn’t always turn to my teachers or parents to answer some questions on issues like sexual health or eating disorders because it felt embarrassing to do so and this is the case for most, if not all teens. Media, and peer pressure usually lead to teens being misinformed and could ultimately lead to them making wrong decisions in the future. It is therefore of utmost importance for everyone to receive the proper information and learn the proper skills in relation to these issues which are unfortunately not always covered in current school curricula.

I am inviting you to look into this programme, which we as medical students and future doctors, are running with the hope that we can reach as many teens as possible and educate as many people as we can. Medical students conducting these sessions have been given peer-education training sessions and are approved by the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA). The MMSA peer educators have all attended a seminar called NPET weekend in which they are trained on issues like presentation skills, conflict management, session design, public speaking, and much more.

We hope that you will consider taking up the different programmes and including them in the curriculum of your students. If you have any queries or a please do not hesitate to contact me on npet@mmsa.org.mt.

Thank you, Fabrizia

- Message from the MMSA Peer Education and Training Officer -

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Substance Abuse

Our substance abuse session focuses mainly on issues that tackle drugs, alcohol and addiction.

Through the use of leaflets and presentations, this NPET session covers a wide variety of re

lated topics including proper definition of a drug, explaining what happens during drug administration, the problems associated with drug intake and withdrawal as well as the side effects and symptoms of drugs.

The session also aims to clarify particular points about different classes of drugs and the effect each type can have on the body, as well as to help dispel any urban myths about drugs, alcohol, and addiction. Specific drugs such as LSD, ecstasy and cocaine are also discussed in some detail.

Anti-Tobacco Our Anti-tobacco session focuses on the dangers associated with smoking and other tobacco products. This year, we are also focusing on the quitting aspect of tobacco and have liaised with the Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable campaign, financed by the European Commission, to provide the public with top-notch information about smoking and quitting.

Our anti-tobacco session is perhaps one of our most hands-on sessions, where we use visual aids, together with actual props, such as a Tar Jar (exemplary of the amount of tar that accumulates in the lungs over time), mock-arteries (to simulate the effect smoking has on cholesterol blockages) and videos. Our sessions cover the dangers of smoking, be they common or less-known, cigarettes together with related products and their contents, the difference between first-, second- and third-hand smoking as well as the social and environmental impacts of smoking. We also aim to highlight new alternatives to smoking and propose how and why these products may be deemed safe or not.

Basic Life Support Skills (First Aid)

Being an integral part of medical student education, the need for an expansion of First Aid education has been felt and thus this year, the campaign has been rebranded as Basic Life Support Skills. NPET sessions relating to this campaign will cover very basic concepts of emergency situations rather than actually First Aid, which takes weeks to master. However, as part of the sessions, we will be promoting the subscription of First Aid courses and highlighting the importance of being capable of giving first aid as well.

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Public Health

Hand Washing Awareness and Hygiene As one of our newest sessions, we have much to offer for hand washing and hygiene. Our session aims to cover the basics of how to wash one’s hands properly and efficiently, highlighting the use of soap and the when-and-where aspect. We aim to show young children aged 4–7 how crucial it is to realise how easy it is for germs and microbes to be spread, whether through contact or other means, and why hand washing is therefore key to limit such spread. Through its participation in HealthFest, this campaign also aims to highlight the importance of hand washing to the general public. The session also focuses on bringing in an oral hygiene focus, not only by explaining the importance of brushing teeth properly, but also how to keep the gums and recesses of the oral cavity clean and fresh.

Eating Disorders and Nutrition Our eating disorders and nutrition sessions are amongst the most successful sessions, having grown and spread beyond the boundaries of schools in recent times including making appearances in local magazines.

The session mainly focuses on healthy eating, through the use of visual aids and the newly incorporated MyPlate scheme which replaces the now-outdated Food Pyramid.

Our sessions also turn to eating disorders, focusing on the troubles both girls and boys face in this regard.

The different forms of eating disorders are covered in detail, highlighting the differences between each, as well as who is most at risk for each type. Emotional, physical, psychological, behavioural and social signs and symptoms for eating disorders and how they can disrupt proper functioning are also covered.

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Why is Sexual Education important?

In Malta, sexual and reproductive health are subjects that still have the power to raise many

eyebrows, and some degree of taboo still surrounds the topic of sex for (too) many people,

particularly in the extremely important context of adults educating youngsters. This is why SCORA in Malta aims to provide both teens and the general public with all the skills and knowledge necessary to make proper sexual health decisions. One of SCORA’s greatest challenges is removing the social stigma associated with sexual issues. Through peer education sessions, the students are given the opportunity to learn about these issues in a non-formal, dignified, interactive environment guided by a foundation of respect, equality and freedom of thought. Our aim is not to impose on the students, but rather to equip them with the selfassertion needed to make responsible choices in life.

The peer education program we offer aims to give a comprehensive grasp of the concept of sexual and reproductive health as a whole such as basic human anatomy, sexually transmitted infections, protecting one’s reproductive health, contraceptives, human sexuality, and dispelling certain myths that exist through popular culture. We have a detailed syllabus that our trained peer-educators use as a guide during the sessions. I invite you to take a look at the syllabus here: http://mmsa.org.mt/standing-committees/scora/projects/sex-edpeer-education-programme/ The sessions we offer consist of: Sexual

Health Sessions

This is based on our detailed syllabus and aims to cover the whole concept of reproductive and sexual health in 3 or 4 sessions of 30 minutes each. It covers a lot of topics such as puberty, contraceptives, self-examination to safeguard reproductive health, sexuality etc. The students will leave the sessions with a Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) which is vital to have, especially during the teen years. We also give schools the opportunity to tailor the sessions delivered if the syllabus is too intense for their students.

Breast

Awareness and First Gynae Consultation Session

The session aims at giving secondary school girls the necessary knowledge regarding changes breasts undergo during puberty and how to protect themselves from breast cancer. The session will outline the risk factors, changes associated with breast cancer and self-examination. The second part of the session will prepare the students for their first gynae consultation. Most grown women, let alone youths, feel too uncomfortable to go to a gynaecologist. Thus this session will give the youths an overview of what to do before the consultation, how to feel during the consultation and what exactly happens during the visit so that any misconceptions and fear can be erased. This session is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour long.

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Sexual Education . Men’s

Issues Session

The session is targeted towards boys aged 11 onwards. Topics tackled in this session include a brief overview of the anatomy of the male reproductive system, changes occurring during puberty, testicular cancer and testicular examination. These peer education sessions are an excellent opportunity to raise awareness on testicular cancer amongst students and to clarify any misconceptions that they may have. We encourage you to hold these sessions because testicular cancer has become one of commonest forms of cancer in the younger male generation. We believe that increasing awareness at a young age is vital in the prevention of this disease.

Mr.

& Mrs. Breastestis Sessions

This is a SCORA campaign focusing on the prevention of reproductive neoplasms, mainly breast, cervical, testicular and prostate cancer. It aims to assess the knowledge of 15-18 year olds regarding reproductive neoplasms, as well as to educate the youths about this topic. This is done through practical sessions whereby the neoplasms are discussed in a new and interesting way in order to educate teens so as to be aware of the risk factors and symptoms of the diseases. The practical sessions also include how to self-examine the breasts and testes so that any changes can be noticed immediately. We also discuss the social aspects of the diseases as they may affect members of the teens’ families, as well as the use of vaccinations for cervical cancers and screening for breast and prostate cancers. We plan on keeping the sessions co-ed in order to raise awareness about what the opposite sex may be going through in order to increase understanding, thus these sessions are aimed at mixed schools and sixth forms.

To book any of the sessions or for more information, please contact us on scora@mmsa.org.mt or npet@mmsa. org.mt. Remember: Knowledge is the key to a better world and I am sure that these sessions will not only be of benefit to the students themselves but also to the community as a whole.

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The Anti-Bullying and Human Rights

Peer-Education campaign

The Anti-Bullying and Human Rights peer-education campaign is the new and revamped form of one of MMSA’s longest running campaigns. The aim of this programme is to increase awareness on several, often controversial issues and thus reduce stigma and misconceptions associated with certain groups of people.

Human Rights Human Rights are of huge significance in today’s world. They are constantly mentioned on the news but are rarely explained. All people are entitled to these basic rights and freedoms regard¬less of nationality, age, gender, religion, appearance or ability, yet these rights are still taken for granted. MMSA’s Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP) is teaming up with NPET to provide an innovative and educational approach to educating peers on the universal human rights. Debates take place in a controlled environment and peer educators keep in mind the sensitivity of certain issues already present within a class. Case studies from the Maltese scenario are often made reference to in order to discuss the issues more relevant to our country.

Activities: After a quick icebreaker the first activity begins by dividing the class into teams. The teams are given two minutes to discuss human rights in Malta and are encouraged to make a list of the human rights they already know. The teams present their work and explain which human rights need to be given more importance, as well as why and how it can be done (even at a school level). The class takes a break by watching a video ‘The Story of Human Rights’ and the full list of human rights is tackled. The session moves onto another activity, also involving teams. The class is made to imagine they have been shipwrecked on an island whose inhabitants have never heard about the concept of human rights. The students decide to implement this idea. They need to convince the inhabitants of the importance of human rights and tackle issues which arise one by one. The aim is for the students to consolidate their knowledge of human rights and discuss the importance of each one.

Other activities may include the Peacetest and the Power-walk. In the Peacetest, peer educators present the students with a plan of a bus with different stereotypes of marginalised people seated; each with an empty place next to them. The students are asked to choose where to sit and need to give a reason why. The life stories of the individual characters on the bus are then revealed and each student discusses what his or her feelings, thoughts or attitude would have been had he or she known the stereotype’s life story.

In the Power-walk students are given cards each containing a description of a unique character belonging to society, for example: ’15 year old girl wheelchair-bound for life’, ‘Mother diagnosed with terminal cancer’, ‘School headmaster’, etc. Students are given five minutes to silently think about how their life would be had they been this character. Then the activity begins with the peer educator making statements dealing with how much ‘power’ the character has in society (many friends, lots of money, looks forward to the next day, is considered successful, etc). The student takes a step each time he or she believes that the statement applies to his or her given character.

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www.mmsa.org.mt

NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Human Rights and Peace At the end of the activity students discuss their characters, which characters are considered to have more ‘power’ and what they do to help those struggling behind.

Anti-bullying Bullying is an aggressive pattern of behaviour where an imbalance of power between pupils is manifested. It can affect students in the classroom or, via social networking sites, even in their own homes. Victims carry around the burden of bullying at all times and hence bullying is one of the leading causes of depression, fear and low self-esteem in young people.

“A staggering 62 per cent of pupils in Malta consider bullying a problem in their school.”

– Times of Malta. 18th May 2010.

The anti-bullying sessions are aimed at raising awareness, particularly by introducing students to the different forms of bullying in order to make them more recognisable. They aim to reduce tolerance to bullying, to aid potential victims in making a decision to take action earlier and to persuade third parties to take a less passive role. Anti-bullying sessions can therefore aid in making the school environment more cohesive and enjoyable for all school attendees. It can also help to prevent the silent suffering of victims of bullying by raising more awareness about the aggression implicated in bullying behaviour. We also aim to emphasise that differences in race, religion, sexuality, ability, class or appearance are common and not something to be ashamed of - hence not bullying artillery. This could include the sharing of real examples of people’s lives affected by bullying; the most negative impacts including; self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts/actions.

The sessions involve a presentation defining all the types of bullying that is relevant to the school environment, whether this is on school grounds or online via cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is the newest form of bullying and the sessions reinforce the additional detrimental impact of cyber bullying – particularly with the increased frequency of use of social network sites such as Facebook. This form of bullying is harmful particularly because it additionally affects victims at home and at all times. By confronting and addressing cyber bullying, we make students aware that it is in no way more tolerated than physical bullying.

Anti-homophobia is the newest part of our sessions where we reiterate that homophobic language and behaviour is harmful. This is particularly important for older students to prevent victimisation of adolescent homosexual individuals, as the school environment can be particularly intimidating. In fact, globally, homosexual teens are two to three times more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths and hence a positive discussion on homosexuality can help to reduce the stigma and prevent such negative results. The cycle of bullying is also discussed in order to emphasise that the bully does not act alone. The act of bullying continues as long as disengaged onlookers and passive supporters do not take action.

Overall, the peer-educators work to create an open environment of discussion between the students with an aim to get them thinking about the impact of their actions. Hopefully, students will realise that even a small positive action can make a difference to not only the victim’s wellbeing, but also the atmosphere of their whole school environment.

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Other MMSA Campaigns for your school

Focusing On Obesity and Diabetes (FOOD) campaign

Our FOOD campaign is one of our most hands-on school campaigns, which we usually offer for older children (primary – early secondary students). We begin the session by giving a short presentation about what healthy eating means. As of this year, we are implementing a new scheme known as MyPlate, to take over the outdated Food Pyramid, which better represents the foodstuffs for a healthy diet in a simple efficient manner.

Children are encouraged to make their own MyPlate during the session. They are split up into teams and after working together they then proceed to presenting their MyPlate, highlighting how they divided the foodstuffs.

A healthy sandwich-making session follows the MyPlate where children are shown how to make simple, easyto-remember healthy bites that they can have as snacks, school lunch, etc. The sessions usually end with a series of games that include Healthy Detective and an assortment of sports games.

Beat the Burn As one of our newest campaigns, Beat the Burn has much to offer. It benefits from the Ex-Smokers Are Unstoppable campaign by the European commission and covers two main topics: sun protection and the effects of tobacco. We aim to carry out these campaigns around the summer months (July-September) and late spring (April-May), where through the use of promotional material and visual aid we will try to convey the importance of staying safe in the sun whilst keeping a healthy attitude wherein the topic of smoking is concernced whilst promoting the proper disposal of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is a new NPET session being launched this year, as part of MMSA’s Healthy Lifestyles campaign.

Through the use of presentations and live demonstrations, it aims to promote a better understanding of how one can affect his/her body as a result of everyday action (e.g. poor seating position, carrying heavy bags, listening to loud music, poor sleeping posture and inappropriate viewing of monitors).

Fitness Fitness is another new NPET session being launched this year, also a part of the Healthy Lifestyles campaign.

Fitness sessions will aim to promote exercise amongst children as well as the idea of eating healthy with regards to particular exercises, thus maintaining a balance between the two. Through presentations and professional consultation, the campaign promises to be a stimulating and interesting one.

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

NPET ‘11-’12

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NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Other campaigns Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) Teddy Bear Hospital is our forefront campaign in aiming to dispel medical fear i.e. the fear of doctors, medical procedures, etc. for younger children (preschool – primary students).

Our campaign involves school visits, where we organise children into small groups and alternate between different stations (e.g. a family doctor, a surgeon, a dentist). Children have the chance to bring along their teddy bears for treatment and also get a better understanding of what it is to get an injection, or to have your arm plastered, or to go in for an operation as well as grasping some basic medical topics such as explaining how the heart works.

As part of our TBH programme, we also offer a hand washing session, where we bring our own soap and washing basins to demonstrate the proper hand washing technique and provide a better understanding of germs using special soft toys.

Children are also given a booklet and a TBH certificate for their participation at the end of the event.

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Training your students

Dear readers, This year MMSA-NPET has broadened its horizons and introduced ‘Training your students’ sessions. These fun, interactive sessions are designed to equip students with certain skills which will benefit them both on a personal scale and on a professional one throughout their future career.

We often find Form 5 students who are stressed out over their upcoming O’Level examinations - Wouldn’t they find a training session on stress management useful?

Who delivers these sessions? MMSA trainers: These are medical students who have been trained during an intensive 3 day internatinoally-recognised workshop, such that at the end of a process of mentoring and evaluation, they are certified as MMSA trainers.

Stress Management

Time management

Conflict management and Team building

Public speaking: Boost up your own self-esteem

Facing a different environment: Learning how to be assertive The above are examples of such sessions which are designed to motivate your students to reflect on decisions they have made or will take, to empower them to further maximise their potential - to make them think. I will end with a quote I’m rather fond of using when it comes to training. “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.”

- Galileo Galilei If you have any other specific topics for training sessions in mind, do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours, Elizabeth

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Note: To book a training session, a school must also book a minimum of one MMSA peer

education session

NPET Booklet 2012-2013

Our Training Division

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