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The State of Health Promotion in Slovakia

What We Do › Healthy Communities › Other Resources › AIHA Brochure: Safer Streets, Longer Lives: Creating A Healthy Community › The State of Health Promotion in Slovakia


Eleonora Fabianova, presenter

According to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, health promotion is one of the basic responsibilities of the state. Over the last seven years, health care, health promotion and disease prevention in Slovakia have been subject to the nation's political and economic transformation, which has led to development of a health care system similar to those in Western democracies.

The role of national agencies governing health care is being reformulated; new strategies, concepts, legislation and executive regulations have been implemented in the area of health promotion and disease prevention. Some of the most important programs are the following:

  • A National Program for Health Support;
  • A National Health Care Policy;
  • National Policy on Health Protection;
  • Legislation on Health Protection; and
  • An Action Plan for Environment and Health.


The process of transforming Slovakia's system of health promotion began with selected hygiene centers, followed by institutions of hygiene and epidemiology. Beginning in January 1995, state health care institutions were also included in the process. These institutions focus on primary disease prevention, health protection, health promotion and basic areas of hygiene, including environmental hygiene, nutritional hygiene, occupational health and epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. They also provide the public with health care information and statistics, and health education and counseling.

The Slovak Ministry of Health, the chief hygienist, and state, regional and district hygienists make all decisions relating to health promotion and disease prevention at the regional or district level. Their professionalism and the quality of their communication with the public is an essential part of an effective system of health promotion. The presentation will provide a detailed analysis of the outcomes of several community health and health advisory programs, such as "Healthy Cities," "Health-Promoting Schools," "Healthy Pre-Schools" and "Healthy Work Environments."

Eleonora Fabianova, MD, is director of the Specialized State Health Care Institution in Banska Bystrica.



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