Government prepares national health education programs

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Research have initiated a joint initiative to develop national health education programs, which will go beyond the classic approach focused exclusively on prevention and will explicitly include the component of proper nutrition, with the aim of reducing the obesity rate in Romania. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, during a press conference. According to the minister, the new programs will integrate several dimensions of health education and will be addressed especially to children and young people, with an estimated long-term impact on the entire population.

"The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research, has started such an initiative to carry out health education programs. In addition to the prevention component, in addition to the dental hygiene component, for example, vaccination and all other preventive behaviors, the area of nutrition will be discussed and addressed, especially a proper diet, which will reduce the degree of obesity existing in Romania," said Alexandru Rogobete. The initiative comes in the context in which Romania is facing a constant increase in health problems associated with unbalanced nutrition, including childhood obesity and the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases. The authorities consider that early intervention, through systematic education, is essential for changing eating behaviors and lifestyle. During the official visit to Spain, the Minister of Health also emphasized the importance of public policies dedicated to mental health, appreciating that the Spanish model can be "easily replicated" in Romania. One of the pillars of this model is the orientation of the medical system towards treatments carried out predominantly in day hospital and specialized outpatient settings, with continuous hospitalizations limited to strictly necessary cases. "We try, as much as possible, to ensure that treatments are carried out in day hospital and specialized outpatient settings, and hospitalizations continue to be carried out only when necessary. In practice, a significant effort is being made to reduce the duration of hospitalizations and to direct patients to day hospital and specialized outpatient settings," explained Rogobete.

• Social protection and integrated approach for patients with mental illnesses

The Minister of Health also highlighted the social protection component developed in Spain for patients with mental health conditions, underlining the importance of an integrated approach that goes beyond the strictly medical framework. In this context, Alexandru Rogobete announced that, at the level of the Ministry of Health, a working group dedicated to the implementation of the national strategy for patients with mental health conditions will be established. It will have the role of adapting international good practices to the specifics of the Romanian system and proposing concrete measures to improve access to services, reduce stigma and increase the quality of care.

• A paradigm shift in public health policies

The joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Research marks a change in approach in public health policies, through the emphasis on education, prevention and early interventions. The integration of proper nutrition and mental health into educational programs reflects the recognition that major health problems cannot be addressed exclusively through treatment, but require coherent long-term education and prevention policies.

The authorities are to present, in the coming period, details regarding the structure of the programs, the implementation stages, the categories of beneficiaries, as well as the way to integrate them into the educational and medical system in Romania.