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Conference »Health in Pomurje«
22nd March 2011
Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota
According to some indicators, the health of Pomurje inhabitants is worse than the Slovenian average. Mortality rate is higher and birth rate is lower; mortality due to the cardiovascular diseases is higher; and the number of cancer diseases is increasing. Behavioural style is slightly more risky.
Lifestyle – diet, physical activity and bad habits (smoking, alcohol and drug consumption) – is affecting the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and the most common forms of cancer.
Healthy lifestyle contributes to the reduction and postponing of diseases.
Health promotion enables people to control determinants of health and diseases mainly by healthy behaviour. It is health preservation.
Reduction of morbidity and mortality is affected by disease prevention and early detection of diseases, before it develops and when recovery is still possible or the consequences are minor. In Slovenia there are national programmes for prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases and cancer of cervix, breasts and colon.
In health promotion and preservation, and disease prevention and early detection, the important role is played not only by health workers, but also by local communities, local authorities and all members, organisations and institutions in those communities.
At the conference we presented the following topics: the problem of health inequalities in Slovenia, selected health indicators in Pomurje, and the selection from the rich experiences of our Institute in the field of health promotion. We watched the documentary about the “Let’s Live Healthily” programme, which was the basis for many other projects and activities. We highlighted the partnerships, cooperation and support of our partners in the environment – local communities, mayors, schools, kindergartens, police, religious communities, NGOs and other institutions and enthusiastic individuals. The ten-year work in the field of health promotion in Pomurje has positive results and we can say that the behavioural style is improving. We presented the programmes for prevention and early detection of diseases like cardiovascular diseases and cervical, breast and colon cancer. The results of these programmes are very encouraging.
The conference was organized by the Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia and National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia.
Asist. Tatjana Krajnc-Nikolić, MD,MScPH (UK)
Translation: Mihaela Törnar
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