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A bilateral strategic partnership between the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) and the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) aims to exchange experience and technical knowledge between the two National Societies (NS) to enhance the capacity of the BRC for prevention and response to extreme public health situations. The sharing of knowledge and experience will be carried out on the basis of an analysis of the needs of the BRC, through joint meetings, training of the members of the MZE on jointly developed specific modules, procedures (SOPs) and rules, exchange of materials and academic partnerships, which will contribute to expanding the knowledge and skills for prevention and adequate response by the NS. The program includes the exchange of technical knowledge, provision of priority equipment and equipment to the teams, etc.
Within the framework of a three-year partnership program, it is planned to build a total of 10 mobile health teams - 2 teams in Sofia (1 MHE within the National Disaster and Crisis Action Team of the Bulgarian Red Cross (NERBAK) and 1 MHE at the Sofia organization) and 8 MHE at the regional organizations of the Bulgarian Red Cross in Burgas, Blagoevgrad, Varna, Vratsa, Dobrich, Plovdiv, Ruse and Kardzhali.
The mobile health teams (MHT) will be formations under the “MB” Directorate of the Bulgarian Red Cross (NERBAK) and the regional/capital organizations of the Bulgarian Red Cross (DERBAK), which will be built and prepared in order to expand the capacity of the Bulgarian Red Cross to respond to public health emergencies such as epidemics, refugee pressure and health risks arising from disasters. They will prepare to carry out activities related to prevention, referral and assistance to those affected by disasters and crises. If necessary, they will be involved and support the activities of state bodies, institutions and local structures (MoH - RHI, MoI - DG “PBZN”, etc.) and coordinate their actions with them, will support the general actions of the voluntary teams of the Bulgarian Red Cross, will annually participate in the conduct of training and educational sessions of the Bulgarian Red Cross and partners.
The program components include development of modules, SOPs, translation and adaptation of a number of documents, preparation for epidemic response, development of academic partnerships, crisis communications, provision of priority equipment and supplies for the Ministry of Health, and others.
In November 2024, together with the Canadian Red Cross, modules and a program were developed for training the master trainers (Master trainers), designated by the regional/capital organizations and NERBAK. In June 2025, a certification course was held for 14 instructors from the structures of the Bulgarian Red Cross and NERBAK and two from the Ukrainian Red Cross in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automatic defibrillator (AED). The training was held at the National Center for Resuscitation - Lozen, together with experts from the Bulgarian Red Cross, McGill University, Montreal, Canada and the European Resuscitation Center (ERC). After the training, a course was also held for employees and volunteers from the Secretariats of the National Council of the Bulgarian Red Cross and the regional/capital organizations of the Bulgarian Red Cross and NERBAK in CPR and the use of a defibrillator. ( Total number of people trained - 114 people) . NULC - Lozen was certified by the European Resuscitation Center as a base for conducting regional trainings. By the end of November 2025 , 10 training courses for the members of the MZE were held at the local level, with the participation of the master trainers and team representatives according to a standard program. (Total number of people trained - 121 people). The certified BRC instructors in CPR/AED conducted 25 trainings on-site, under a separate project with the IFRC/EC. (Total number of trained persons: 409 people (217 Ukrainians and 192 Bulgarians). In November, a course in crisis communications was held with 28 representatives from the regional/capital organizations of the BRC and NERBAK, with guest lecturers from the Canadian Red Cross and the IFRC/EC cluster, Sarajevo. At present, part of the approved (by the partner) equipment for the MZE has been provided. The BRC assists in the development of academic partnerships, a four-party framework agreement for cooperation between the BRC-CCRC-McGill University, Montreal and the Medical University - Plovdiv is in the process of being signed.
