Educating, Creating awaRenEss and Empowering womeN wiTh famIliAl hypercholesterolemia

The overarching objective of the project was to educate, create awareness and empower both women with and without familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The project aimed at reducing the gender-based...

The overarching objective of the project was to educate, create awareness and empower both women with and without familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The project aimed at reducing the gender-based gap in FH diagnosis and treatment and promoting gender equality by addressing not only the recipient of care but also the provider, driving change in both a bottom-up (better-informed women) and top-down (better-trained health professionals) approach. To this end, after project implementation, a health education and communication e-toolbox tailored for women (with and without FH experience) in Cyprus and further tested in Greece is made available, that includes relevant health-information as a result of participatory methodology. Additionally, the toolbox includes educational up-to-date and evidenced-based material for health professionals with the double aim of both educating, but also making health providers more aware of the possible unconscious bias in dyslipidemia screening and treatment in women and highlight issues specific to women, further promoting gender equality.

The project’s outcomes are the tangible result of a participatory formative research process, whereby educational and informational content about FH was adapted to address the Cypriot socio-cultural setting/context and further tested in Greece. The project’s main output, is the FH e-ToolBox, which includes educational and informational content and messages targeting: 1) women with and without FH experience and 2) health professionals. Materials include: pamphlets and infographics addressing both women of the general population and with FH experience, short animation videos for patients/general public showcasing the experiences and “life journey” of women with FH, short expert videos for the public and webinars for health professionals on evidence-based guidelines and case studies, as well as an #BeFHAware infographic highlighting the evidence-based gender-gap in FH diagnosis and management. This toolbox has been disseminated both digitally (social media online campaign and via email) and at a relevant “FH education and Awareness” event for health professionals, and will continue to be available through a dedicated website for FH in Cyprus (https://www.fhcyprus.org/), to ensure sustainable use well after the project's life cycle.