Stimulating healthy habits through health education in Bulgaria

In line with the recommendations of a coalition of nongovernmental organizations and experts, a new law in Bulgaria establishes lessons on how to live a healthy life as one of 18 pillars of primary education.

In an interview with local media, Dr Michail Okoliyski, new Head of the WHO Country Office in Bulgaria, explained that WHO’s strategy for reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases includes addressing health risks at all stages of the life course. From an early age children need to know what may happen to them if they smoke cigarettes, over-consume food or are not physically active.

“Such health indicators in Bulgaria are among the worst in Europe, so children need to learn to make informed and wise choices. To succeed, health education in schools also has to be both interesting and interactive,” he said.