A Macro Level Social Work Practice; Health Promotion Program for Improving the Health Status of Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Turkey

Abstract

The agriculture, which is the second largest sector of employment in the world and Turkey, will maintain its importance due to the food supply and provision of input to industry. The majority labour force of sector meets the seasonal agricultural workers (SAWs). Maternal-infant and general mortality and morbidity rates were at least 3.5 times higher in MSFWs than in general population of Turkey due to lack of access public health services. We developed a macro level social work intervention including planning and policy, community capacity development and social advocacy strategies to decrease health inequalities named Health Promotion Project of Seasonal Agricultural Workers (HPPSAWs) by using an operational epidemiological design with the objectives of (1) determining the health status and predictors of ill health in designing appropriate interventions, (2) developing new mechanism for access to public health services, and 3) integration of proven interventions into the system to protect right to life of SAWs.