The BELMED Project

BELMED: preventing noncommunicable diseases; promoting healthy lifestyle; supporting modernization of the health system.

The “Preventing noncommunicable diseases, promoting healthy lifestyle and support to modernization of the health system in Belarus 2016–2019” project, also referred to as BELMED, was initiated in 2016. It is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Ministry of Health of Belarus in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and WHO.

To promote the effective prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and strengthen the national health system to effectively address the challenges of NCDs, 7 objectives have been developed. Specific activities are undertaken within each objective.

Within BELMED, WHO leads or jointly leads on the following objectives.

Objective 1: Promote healthy lifestyles and the prevention of NCDs, with the aim of reducing the impact of the most significant NCD risk factors – excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy diet and low levels of physical activity.
Objective 3: Prepare and implement pilot screening programmes for breast cancer at the regional level in order to implement population-based screening for the disease throughout Belarus.
Objective 4: Improve the system of child disease and injury prevention.
Objective 6: Support the modernization of the health system with a particular focus on primary health care.