Health education for the Ethiopian community in the Negev

The importance of health education as part of health enhancement programs is well accepted. The encounter with the Ethiopian Jews introduced a new set of problems, requiring a novel approach to old concepts. A project that was carried out during the last decade is presented. Three target populations were identified: the Ethiopian population with 851 participants, medical and community teams with 843 participants, and 138 Ethiopian instructors. An effort was made to make the interaction between these groups more coherent. The project included 65 series of activities: lectures, workshops, staff meetings and conferences. The major topics included medical, emotional, anthropological and behavioral issues. The project was initiated for immigrants of Operation Moses (1984-85), and reinforced in Operation Solomon (1991). A follow-up is presently underway to aid in the absorption of this unique community.