Health Promotion in Croatia and Experiences with the First National Health Promotion Project

Abstract

The paper describes a very specific historical development of health promotion and health education in Croatia, based on Andrija Stampar ten principles written at the beginning of the last century. Since 1927, Andrija Stampar School of Public Health has been the initiator, facilitator, leader and evaluator of different health promotion and community-based programs in Croatia and abroad. The activities and approaches passed different periods: the early bird of modern public health and enlightenment approach to health education and community health, period from sixties to eighties emphasizing community interventions, self-help movement and Family Practice, war and postwar time as well as current situation. The paper is critically discussing similar situation in South-Eastern countries: some very positive experiences from the past, the new possibilities in development of health promotion and disease prevention activities, but, on the other hand, the strong influence of supporters from abroad. Therefore, the experiences of the First National Health Promotion project, supported by World Bank, is described in details.