ZAGREB, 17 April (Hina) – Health Minister Irena Hrstić said in Pula on Friday that seven in ten people over the age of 40 who had not visited their family doctor for two years but attended a preventive check-up were found to have at least one risk factor for developing a chronic disease.
Speaking at the opening of a conference on healthy lifestyles, Hrstić said investment in prevention pays off many times over, adding that the Ministry of Health is making a major shift towards preventive medicine and primary healthcare.
She noted that this approach includes a decision by the Ministry of Health and the Croatian Health Insurance Fund to increase annual funding for primary healthcare.
Although results are not immediately visible, she said preventive programmes and cancer screenings are already producing outcomes, including improved cancer survival rates, particularly a 14% increase among breast cancer patients.
Hrstić added that around €3 billion has been invested in the healthcare system over the past decade, while spending on high-cost medicines has quadrupled in the same period. Since 2016, 25 new high-cost drugs and more than 100 new indications have been introduced, mainly for oncology patients.
She also announced efforts to encourage young doctors to choose primary care rather than hospital-based work.
The conference was organised by the Institute of Public Health of Istria County in cooperation with ten partner cities and focused on promoting healthy lifestyles, strengthening prevention programmes, and improving intersectoral cooperation in public health.
