Project Activities and Events

Launch Event

The launch of the project was successfully held on Monday 26th of October at Auberge d’Aragon in Valletta, where the Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance, Hon. Dr. Edward Zammit Lewis and Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms, Hon. Rosianne Cutajar addressed the attendees. Dr. Mario J Cachia, addressed the event on behalf of the Ministry for Health. Other speakers included Acting Director of the Human Rights Directorate Mr. Michael Camilleri and Head of SOGIGESC Unit  Ms. Gabriella Calleja.

Dr Mario Cachia, lead clinician of the Gender Wellbeing Clinic, said that support in addressing the health care needs of LGBTIQ persons was required from all healthcare providers. This project was therefore important in that it would be providing training to nurses, emergency doctors and frontline staff.

During the conference, the Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms, Hon. Rosianne Cutajar said that we depend on health services for our wellbeing which is why it is so important that our experience in accessing them is a positive one where we feel seen, heard and understood and where our identities do not give rise to additional challenges and increase stress or anxiety. However, even knowing that LGBTIQ are entitled to equal treatment, they may still experience challenges when accessing the health sector.

This project stems from the Government’s commitment to ensure equal treatment of LGBTIQ persons in all spheres of life. The Parliamentary Secretary concluded by saying that equality is and will always be at the top of this Government’s agenda with the aim to achieve a more equal Malta.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis said that this project is part of this Government’s holistic approach towards its commitment in ensuring that the rights of LGBTIQ persons are protected. This project builds on previous EU funded projects such as the Health4LGBTI pilot project of the European Parliament – Making use of our own expertise in this field wherever possible, such as in the training of customer care and reception staff as well as nursing and other health practitioners.

He continued by saying that everyone deserves the right for adequate access to health services whilst reiterating the Government’s commitment in protecting the rights of all LGBTIQ+ persons.

The project has several foreign and international partners, and as such, they were expected to take part in this event physically. Unfortunately, because of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, they could not be present physically at the event.

Read the Press Release here.​


 


Kick Off Meeting

The Kick-Off Meeting was successfully held on Wednesday 27th November 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in St. Julian’s. All members of the lead project team and project partners attended this meeting.

During this meeting, the project was discussed in great depth, and the lead team gave a presentation with a detailed breakdown of the Work Packages, deadlines and preparation for way forward.

The Kick-Off Meeting served as a setting whereby the partners got to know each other better, share ideas, and coordinate implementation of the project. A detailed presentation on the work of the partner in trans health was given by the representative from Ghent University Hospital, given that they were least known among the partners at the time.


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Training of Health Care Practitioners and Reception Staff

Training of Reception Staff

The training sessions for reception and clerical personnel working in the health sector were successfully held between the 2nd of July and the 5th of November 2021 in collaboration with the ODPM, SHC, Mater Dei Hospital (MDH), and CareMalta.

Twenty-six separate training sessions were held in order to limit disruption to service provision while also reaching personnel working in multiple facilities. These were delived by the SOGIGESC Unit staff and took place physically in five different locations.

The training sessions were each one and a half hour long reaching 321 reception, customer care, HR and clerical staff working in general hospitals, health care centres, mental health settings, elderly care and rehabilitation centres. The session included an introduction to the terminology used, a general overview of the local legal context, best communication practices, information of the services available and an open discussion to answer any questions that arose during the session.

A training booklet was provided to all participants, which included an overview of the content covered throughout the session while also giving additional information for those interested in researching further.

An evaluation form was filled in at the end of each training session.


 


Training of Healthcare Practitioners

The training sessions for health care practitioners were successfully held between the 2nd of June and the 22nd of July 2021. A call for participants was issued through the MUMN and the course was over-subscribed. The trainers were staff of the SOGIGESC Unit and the nurse coordinator of the GWC.

Four separate training sessions were held in order to limit disruption to service provision while also reaching personnel working in multiple facilities. These took place physically in a venue in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta.

The training sessions, based on the training programme developed through the EU4Health Project, were each five hours long, reaching 112 health care practitioners. The session was divided into four modules and included: (i) an introduction to the project, awareness raising, key concepts and terminology; (ii) an overview of the available research on LGBTIQ health and health inequalities; (iii) an exploration and discussion of best communication practices; and finally (iv) trans and intersex health. Methodologies included presentations, case studies and small and whole group discussions and opportunities to practice skills. Time was also dedicated to answering any questions that arose during the session. In general, the participants where actively engaged in the sessions.

A training booklet was provided to all participants with an overview of the content used throughout the session while also giving more information for those interested in researching further.


 
 
 

Train the Trainer Seminar

The training sessions for practice nurses were successfully held between the 30th of June and the 14th of July 2021 in collaboration with the ODPM, and MDH. The trainers were staff of the SOGIGESC Unit and the nurse coordinator of the GWC. Participants were identified from among practice nurses at MDH, Primary Health Care Services, SAMOC, Mount Carmel Hospital and St. Vincent de Paul Hospital.

Three separate training sessions were held in order to limit disruption to service provision while also reaching personnel working in multiple facilities. These took place physically in a venue in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta.

The training sessions were each five hours long reaching 73 health care practitioners.

The training sessions, based on the training programme developed through the EU4Health Project, were each five hours long, reaching 73 practice nurses. The session was divided into four modules and included: (i) an introduction to the project, awareness raising, key concepts and terminology; (ii) an overview of the available research on LGBTIQ health and health inequalities; (iii) an exploration and discussion of best communication practices; and finally (iv) trans and intersex health. Methodologies included presentations, case studies and small and whole group discussions and opportunities to practice skills. Time was also dedicated to answering any questions that arose during the session. In general the participants where actively engaged in the sessions.

A booklet was provided to all participants, with an overview of the content covered throughout the session. Given that this was a train-the-trainer course, the training booklet also include detailed guidance notes on how to deliver the training and links to the research and original training programme and resources developed under the Health4LGBTI project. 

An evaluation form was filled in at the end of the training.


 

Training of General Practitioners and Family Doctors

The training session for GPs and Family Doctors was successfully held on Thursday, the 29th of October 2020. The event was hosted and moderated by the MCFD in collaboration with the GWC and GUH.

One training session was held live through a virtual platform, which was also recorded and made available on a specific medical-based learning platform for a limited time period. As such, the video has and is expected to continue to reach several GPs that were not available to attend the online session.

The training session was two and a half hours long, at the time of writing reaching 107 GPs. The session included an introduction regarding the services offered in Malta by the GWC, followed by an exchange of best practices by experts from GUH. A Q&A was held at the end of the session with an open discussion to answer any questions that arose during the session.

The recording of the session was promoted through several mediums – through the MCFD where an e-mail invite was sent to all its members as well as through the Malta Foundation School – Post-Graduate Medical Training Centre.

This was followed by an evaluation form which was filled in by participants after the session.

Two supplementary sessions took place using the material from the session with GPs and Family Doctors, one with psychiatry trainees and one with nurses from the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Clinic, reaching a further 49 participants. The training was highly requested by professionals working in these areas and identified as a highly important cohort to be trained by the project team. The training took place online and was delivered by the Gender Wellbeing Clinic staff who incorporated the recordings of the presentations given by the GUH experts in the training session.


Training of Accident and Emergency Staff

The training sessions for A&E staff in Malta were successfully held on Monday, the 26th of October and Wednesday, the 29th of October 2020 in collaboration with the ODPM and MDH. The sessions in Gozo were organised in collaboration with SHC and took place in the morning and afternoon of Tuesday, the 27th of October.

Three separate training sessions were held in order to limit disruption to service provision while also reaching personnel working in multiple facilities. These took place virtually for the personnel working in Malta and physically at GGH through the use of video conferencing equipment for the participation of international trainers.

The training sessions were two hours long reaching 25 A&E staff working locally. The session included an introduction regarding the services offered in Malta by the GWC, followed by an exchange of best practices by experts from GUH. A Q&A was held at the end of the session with an open discussion to answer any questions that arose during the session.

The session’s attendance was mandatory and was followed by an evaluation form that was filled in at the end of the session.




Exchange of Good Practices

Roundtable Discussion between Ghent University Hospital and the Gender Wellbeing Clinic

The exchange visit by the experts from GUH to Malta was scheduled to take place between the 26th and 28th of October 2020. Due to Malta being on the Amber List of Belgium at the time, the exchange visit did not take place physically, but instead most planned activities had to shift online. In fact, as mentioned above, the training sessions took place online via zoom.

The Roundtable Discussion Meeting also took place virtually. The event was successfully held on Monday 26th of October 2020. The session was attended by the multi-disciplinary team of the GWC in Malta and virtual attendance of experts from GUH. The multidisciplinary team met physically at the conference room of the then MJEG, where a connection via Zoom was established.

Following introductions, the participants enjoyed an open discussion where several issues were raised. The Gender Clinic of the Belgian counterparts has been operating for over 30 years, and thus the experts could provide a better insight of the care path and service provision currently available in the Flemish region. The Maltese participants were able to raise a number of issues and concerns encountered in the first two years of service provision. Multiple scenarios that both have met in their operation were discussed and explored to better jointly establish the best way for them to be addressed.​


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Participation in the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) Conference​

From the various networking opportunities throughout the project between the GWC Multi-Disciplinary Team and our Ghent partners, it was decided that some members of the GWC Team would attend the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) Conference in August 2021 instead of attending an exchange visit at Ghent University Hospital. The Conference gathers around 600 scholars and clinicians from all around Europe presenting up-to-date clinical practices and research outcomes. Ten Maltese experts working in the field were expected to travel to Gothenburg in Sweden in August 2021, however, due to restrictive travelling arrangements as a result of the pandemic, the Conference was followed online. The Team has also held a follow-up meeting to discuss how some of the knowledge gained from this experience, can be adapted to the Maltese context.


 
 
The project had funds allocated for the development of a specific website targeted at a wide range of healthcare practitioners including GPs, Family Doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and A&E personnel among others and which provides extensive information on how to better address the needs of transgender patients. This website was developed with collaboration between HRD, ODPM, GUH, GWC, ILGA-Europe, TGEU and MCFD and is extensively based on https://transgenderzorg.be/ of GUH. 

The website content was adapted following an extensive review process in order to ensure that the information reflected the Maltese legal and policy framework and service provision, used inclusive language and terminology and reflected the latest research in the field of trans health care. 

The website includes an introductory section with information on the local context including Malta’s legal framework and the services of the Gender Wellbeing Clinic; General Healthcare relating to trans persons; Psychosocial Care of Trans persons; and Trans Specific Healthcare. A number of factsheets are also available for download.

The website also provides a quick access to the referral form of the GWC and clear instruction of the pathway and the key milestones when one is accessing the clinic’s services.

The website www.transhealth.gov.mt was successfully launched on the 17th of June 2021, on a local television programme (Popolin). The website was then advertised on the national television station, Television Malta, for a few months through a video that was developed through project funds. The website was also advertised through posts on HRD’s social media. By the end of June 2021, the website reached a total of 827 hits.

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The content of this webpage represents the views of the author only and is his/her/their sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

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