In November 2018, the Bulgarian Centre of Public Health and Analysis in Sofia hosts an exchange on health Inequalities, de-institutionalisation and social inclusion of people with chronic diseases and mental ill health.

 

The CEV will be divided in 4 main parts:

  1. Health and social inclusion

The first part will focus on presenting the health profile of Bulgaria and the work of NCPHA. The Ministry of Health will present its newest proposal for the Future of Healthcare in Bulgaria, reflecting on past experiences and giving an overview of new opportunities. From the CEV participants we plan to learn about the current programmes and lessons learnt in the area of health promotion, which specifically targets vulnerable groups in society.

  1. Mental Health and Wellbeing

The aim of this session is to exchange knowledge and expertise in responding to the requirements of people with poor mental health. We will discuss which practices from EuroHealthNet members were successful, how to address the challenges of implementation and what knowledge is still missing. The discussion will be followed by a site visit to a day care centre for psychosocial rehabilitation.

  1. Social inclusion of people with chronic non-communicable diseases

This session will provide the opportunity to understand the challenges and possibilities that our colleagues are facing in the area of chronic NCDs. We will discuss about ways to strengthen existing strategies and innovative ways to respond to the ever-growing demands of European population. The Bulgarian Ministry of Health in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs will present the ‘National Program for Prevention of Chronic non-communicable diseases 2014-2020’. The presentation will be followed by a number of good practices for responding to the requirements of people with NCDs, including the community care, from the CEV participants.

  1. NCDs and action at the European level

EuroHealthNet will facilitate a session which looks into European policies and tools, and discuss how they resonate at national, regional and/or local levels and can be used to advance health equity. A good practice on Mobile IT tools for Chronic Disease care will be shared with the participants.

The agenda will cover the following topics:

  • Overview of the National Center of Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA): its role and major activities in the public health field in Bulgaria.
  • The future of healthcare in Bulgaria: on the way to profound changes of the health care model
  • Health promotion activities that target vulnerable groups
  • An exchange of views about similarities and differences in strategic approaches, priority actions, and monitoring plans
  • Mental health services in Bulgaria
  • Good Practices for responding to the requirements of people with poor mental health
  • Site Visit – day care centre for psychosocial rehabilitation
  • The Bulgarian national program for prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases 2014-2020
  • Good ractices for responding to the requirements of people with NCDs, including the community care
  • Mobile IT tools for chronic disease care in view of Joint Action Chrodis+ Implementation
  • In-depth session on EU policy and practice to learn about relevant EU policies and tools

 

This country exchange visit took place in 2018. Find the report here. 

 

About EuroHealthNet Country Exchange Visits

EuroHealthNet Country Exchange Visits are members-only events that are open to senior delegates. The aim is two-fold, namely (1) to exchange good practices and policies on selected core themes and showcase members’ work to a selection of senior European colleagues and, at the same time, (2) discuss how related EU policy processes may support health equity at national, regional and local levels.