HOW TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION?
3.07.2014

Boban Džunić, President of Palilula Municipality in Nis, and prof. Dr. Branislav Tiodorović, director of the Institute of Public Health in Nis, signed a protocol on cooperation in the field of health promotion. With this act, the signatories of the protocol, agreed on mutual cooperation to improve the joint activities in the areas of promoting healthy lifestyles, health promotion for children and young people, promoting the health of women of generative age, health promotion of marginalized and particularly vulnerable groups, health promotion of the elderly, health promotion of workers, and the promotion of health of the person with social needs.

"Health care of the residents, renovation of health facilities and the expansion of activities in the municipality are the goals to strive for. In collaboration with the Health-Preventive Centre Nis, we have organized several campaigns and lectures, such as "bazar of health" and in the course of the activity, in the rural area we have action titled "closer to the patient," which will in July be included in all villages in our municipality-emphasized President Boban Džunić. This collaboration with our renowned Institute will provide appropriate support and partnership in the realization of international projects in the field of social and health care for the population.

"The general system of our health care deals mainly with a disease, which is, after all, its job. But we have to approach in the implementation of that part of the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the European Union, speaking on health care and health promotion. So, our task is not only to preserve health, but also to improve it. This is the program that we find currently financially less burdensome and that provides greater financial savings - reminded Professor Branislav Tiodorović. Palilula represents an interesting municipality of the City of Nis in its composition. It equally has all elements of a real urban environment and rural parts of marginalized groups, and Europe and the world is extremely supportive to marginalized groups through research projects. This is not just about studying but also about a new approach to all population groups, how to maintain health and improve it.

According to the President Džunić, one of the priorities of the Palilula municipality is monitoring socially vulnerable population groups, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, elderly and disabled people, Roma people, and elderly households in the rural area of the municipality. On the territory of Palilula there is a large number of people who need some kind of social protection and assistance. Nearly every 14th resident of Palilula is older than 70 years. According to statistics in the field of social needs the total number of persons who are registered with the Centre for Social Work "Sveti Sava" in Nis, over 67 percent of the population (around 3360) is from the territory of Palilula. Average wages working-age population of Palilula is at the very bottom of Towns and Municipalities in the Republic, but these are not discouraging facts for us, in order to face obvious problems and solve citizens' demands, said the president of the city municipality.

Thanks to the mayors, as Mr. Džunić, we can expect good results in the area of approaching health care to citizens-says Director of the Institute, Dr. Branislav Tiodorović. The media at this time played an important role, which is inevitable, but in the further course of the campaign we will be needing and word of mouth, an advice of our medical specialists, sociologists, through specialized programs, manifestations, in order to get closer to the target groups.