According to "Public Health Guidelines for 2021–2027” the prevalence of obesity in society is significantly higher than the EU average – in Latvia, one in four women and one in six men are obese.However, existing approaches to obesity treatment tend to focus on individual responsibility, diet, and exercise. A newly developed approach should recognize the complexity of obesity and provide personalized citizen-centered, multidisciplinary care.Considering that people increasingly seek information via the Internet and other digital tools, a crucial factor is digital health literacy in promoting a healthy lifestyle. The project aims to utilise a comprehensive digital platform for a lifestyle-related health literacy program that is accessible and proactive. We will incorporate user-friendly digital tools for e-consent management and the collection of patient-reported experience measures data related to health literacy. Within the project objectives, we will create and validate health-related questionnaires and lifestyle recommendations,strengthen patients’ rights.Compare digital citizen engagement with face-to-face-surveying, evaluate the proactive citizen-centred health surveillance

Metformin is recognized as the best choice for initial treatment of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus having several advantages over other types of anti-diabetic medications. However metformin is widely described as poorly tolerated due to gastrointestinal tract (GIT) side effects. Our previous studies have shown that metformin treatment induces shifts in the taxonomic and functional profile of the gut microbiome. It is observed that co-administration of probiotics with metformin has shown beneficial effects on reducing GIT side effects of metformin. In addition to probiotics, prebiotics such as polyherbal formulations are also widely considered in the treatment of GIT dysbiosis. The project is based on the hypothesis that a polyherbal formulation as an add-on treatment has the ability to improve the outcome of conventional antidiabetic therapy by targeting the composition of the gut microbiome. The overall aim of this project is to evaluate the effects of interactions between metformin and traditionally used polyherbal formulations on gut microbiota in a prospective crossover study involving type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. We suppose that the study will bring forward an alternative approach to impact the gut microbiome by polyherbal formulation providing a more effective clinical use. It is expected that the implementation of the project will advance the development of drug-supplementary-based solutions for the treatment of metabolic disease

In the project, it is planned to implement three subtasks of the national research program "Public Health" task "Develop new knowledge, approaches, and methods to reduce preventable mortality from non-communicable diseases." These subtasks include: identifying opportunities to reduce preventable mortality for patients with cardiovascular diseases, conducting a comparative assessment of the quality of inpatient healthcare services in priority areas (cardiovascular, oncology, maternal-child) considering the provided services, workload of specialists, and other criteria, as well as identifying opportunities to reduce preventable mortality for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The subtasks of the project are selected based on the current relevance in the Latvian healthcare system. To address the chosen tasks, the project sets the goal of generating new knowledge and solutions to improve the quality and accessibility of disease prevention and healthcare, as well as strengthen the effectiveness and resilience of the healthcare system.

Based on the ETPOD -European Training Program on Organ Donation- a successful Training program that improves the Organ Donation (Transpl Int 2013 Apr; 26(4):373-84), SeeLife project aims to improve the professional competences, knowledge and skills in the domain of Organ Donation and Transplantation in Bulgaria and Latvia, setting the bases for best practices in alignment with the EU directives and Spain experience on Organ Donation and Transplantation. The educational program will provide homogeneous knowledge in organ donation and transplantation to enhancing the development of professional competences in the domain. The project targets healthcare professionals at University level, as well as physicians already specialized or in training from Critical Care medicine, Emergency and Recovery units, Nephrologists, Neurologists, Neuro surgeons and Transplant surgeons, transplant physicians.Objectives and Methodology 1. To define the Target Areas (TAs) within Bulgaria and Latvia. TAs will be selected according to the following criteria: to have at least 1 donor hospital and 1 transplant hospital, covering a population over 300.000 inhabitants. 2. To perform a Diagnosis study in the TAs defined. Diagnosis study report will analyse an organ donation and transplantation activity in partner countries; Evaluation of Internet access and digital literacy in the partner countries. As diagnosis tool, a survey considering specific criteria and indicators will be designed, developed and implemented to collect the above mentioned information, both from partners and other official resources.3. To design a Training Program in Organ Donation and Transplantation for healthcare proffesionals.• Online Training -The E- learning method to be used in the course will be interactive and will deliver the training by electronic means• The face to face training - This method will reinforce the knowledge through experience and will be designed to put into practice the contents acquired in the on-line modules and, therefore, will facilitate the switch from the theoretical knowledge to practice.• Learn to teach training -The training will be designed in two phases, chronologically different but nonetheless, interrelated. Blended Learning (On-Line and Off-Line Training) will be the educational methodology4. To develop academic and scientific contents for a blended training program, in accordance with the European Space for Higher Education guidelines (ECTS) An ELearning Platform will enable students to be acquiring basic knowledge on a distance basis and afterwards practicing to endorse it. The training “learn to teach” will be addressed to a group of teachers that will become faculty and coordinators of the Seminars to be held in their corresponding TA’s. 5. To implement the Training Program in II Phases:• I Phase foresees to train a total 15 healthcare professionals from Bulgaria and Latvia. • II Phase through Seminars in Organ Donation, a total of 375 participants will be further trained. The seminars will be theoretical and practical. The educational material and instructions to successfully carry out the Seminars will be produced along the “Learn to Teach” training.6. To ensure the program sustainability a network in Organ Donation and Transplantation will be constituted, with the participation of the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment and Emergency Medicine NI Pirogov and University Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital from Bulgaria and Latvia respectively. 7. To ensure a quality control system, follow up and evaluation plan will be designed along with partners to establish standards for measuring the quality of the different phases of the educational project. This assessment document will be performed by educational experts in educational quality and blended learning methodology.One of the outcomes of the SeeLife project is to design a special and fit to the concrete national circumstances training programme that encompasses different medical sphere and is oriented towards achievement of unique curricula. Thus the project aims at enhancing personal development of learners and strengthening of the European society of medical professionals that are involved in the Organ Donation and Transplantation process. Within the project will be trained trainers and and will be formed well qualified specialists that will continue to assist the young specialist in the very specific area of organ donation and transplantation. In its unique way the project is in compliance with the objective for improving the quality and relevance of the higher education and especially the training on the job.

Organ donation and transplantation has become an established practice, bringing considerable benefits to thousands of patients in Europe and worldwide every year. The shortage of organs for transplant was observed in each EU Member State and has been the main challenge to address in organ transplantation.TEODOR project comes to meet the recommendation given at EU level in 2017 and proposes a sustainable and innovative training in organ donation and transplantation in Baltic regions (Latvia and Lithuania) and Central Europe (Czech Republic). The project is led by Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (Latvia), with the collaboration and expertise of Spanish and Swedish partners.TEODOR aims at designing and piloting a new and innovative training programme on organ donation and transplantation for relevant healthcare personnel from Latvia, Czech Republic, and Lithuania.Target Groups:· For organ and tissue donation, Key Donation Professionals (KDPs) such as healthcare personnel from Intensive Care Units, Emergency Departments, Neuro-critical wards, organ donor/transplant coordinators;· For organ transplantation, the Key Transplantation Professionals (KTPs) such as Immunologists, transplant surgeons, nephrologists, hepatologists, cardiologists, pneumonologists, etc. Activities and methodology:1. Data analysis throughout TEODOR to evaluate the programme impact on learners’ knowledge and their clinical performance.2. Design and implement a Train the Trainers programme targeting all the future trainers. The programme will include a multi-session approach, with face to face and virtual progressive sessions and an OPEN DOORS multiplier event in Latvia.3. Design and implement modular multilevel blended training with two modules: one on organ &tissue donation for KDPs and one on organ transplanation for KTPs on three levels: · The first level: engaging and motivating the learners with a variety of activities and resources;· The second level: boosting learning WHAT TO DO through guided online learning and HOW AND WHEN TO DO IT through online master classes;· The third level: facilitate transfer of competencies to the clinical setting through direct support in their clinical environment, streamlining and teleassistance. Clinical projects will further facilitate the transfer of what has been learned to their practice settings and will be evaluated in the face to face trans-national seminar. 4. Dissemination and visibility. To ensure the continuity and sustainability of TEODOR through a dissemination strategy, visibility plan and sustainability actions.The project results foreseen are: · Prospective study in the three beneficiary partner countries (Latvia, Czech Republic and Lithuania) and scientific publications;· Trainer for Trainers Curriculum;· A total of 12-16 experts trained as future trainers;· TEODOR Curriculum;· Module on Organ & Tissue Donation and related resources;· Module on Organ Transplantation and related resources;· A total of 75 healthcare professionals trained in TEODOR: 45 KDPs (15 KDPs/partner institutions from Latvia, Czech Republic, and Lithuania) and 30 KTPs (15 KTPs/partner institutions from Latvia and Lithuania).Impact and potential longer-term benefits: better awareness at different societal levels, including individual, healthcare professionals (both directly involved and others), and decision makers.At local and regional level, the impact envisaged will be as follows: · For trainers and learners: better technical and non-technical competences;· For patients: more potential donors identified, better transplant programmes, less patients on the waiting list, better short- and long-term transplant outcomes, higher quality of life;· For hospitals: better donation and transplantation programmes in place. Empowerment of Intensive Care Units, Emergency and central services of the hospital;· For HEI: new programmes available making use of new technologies, best practice exchange and know-how transfer.At national level TEODOR will impact positively to National Agencies on development of organ exchange programmes.At European level we expect TEODOR may create better compliance with the European recommendations and best practice exchange among Baltic, Southern, Central and Northern European healthcare professionals to improve organ donation and transplantation practices and education.Potential longer-term benefits: · Integration of TEODOR in the beneficiary centres during the project lifecycle;· Transfer of digital contents to the platforms of the beneficiary countries upon project closure, minimum cost maintenance;· Long-term sustainability plan and signing a Memorandum of Understanding for minimum 3 years post project;· Possibility of content translation into local language;· Better hospital direction, improvement in hospital general services and National competent authorities support and involvement.